Six Sharp Claws and a Mister Pointy
by Luc Star
Summary: Two girls. One: Chosen, Slayer. The other: Clone, Mutant. Buffy the Vampire Slayer comes face to face with the most dangerous girl on Earth. The daughter of Wolverine. Weapon X23. The adventure starts right here. BTVSMarvelDC AU. Chapter 12 now up. Enjoy!
1. Trouble Brewing

**SIX SHARP CLAWS AND A MISTER POINTY **

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**Disclaimer:** All familiar characters belong to their respective copyright owners and are being used without their permission. I am not in any way affiliated with any of the groups or organizations that hold rights over the characters that appear in this particular story and neither have I been authorized to write the following story. This is a non-profit fan-based effort and no copyright infringement is intended. So, umm… please don't sue. The plot and particular storyline however belong to me, and so do the original characters unless otherwise specified. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. Redistribution of this tale for profit is strictly prohibited. Please obtain my permission before archiving this story anywhere else on the net. Thank you very much. Happy reading!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Timeline: **

**BTVS:** sometime in Season 4

**Marvel/DC:** An alternate world based on both the universes coexisting together from the beginning.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Special thanks for _markmark261_ for beta-reading this chapter for me.

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**CHAPTER 1: TROUBLE BREWING **

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Colonel Nicholas "Nick" Joseph Fury had been around for a long time.

A very, very long time. Longer than most people would probably want to be around for.

Even with nearly ninety years behind him, Fury was still at the pinnacle of human fortitude. This - he owed mostly to a Doctor Berthold Sternberg from France who had introduced the experimental drug known as the Infinity Formula into his body… in hopes of restoring his health after he had been seriously injured by a landmine near the end of World War II.

With more than half of his existence devoted to combating and preventing trouble from arising - trouble that could no doubt jeopardize the lives of innocents - one could state that Fury had become something of a specialist when it came to pointing out when and where trouble would most likely rise from.

He was the head of the most dominant counter-terrorism organisation on the planet. One did not lead an organisation such as S.H.I.E.L.D. without the nearly supernatural capacity to tell the difference between immediate trouble and trouble brewing.

He glared at the manila folder on his desk with his one good eye, something he had been doing for the last half hour ever since he had dropped the said folder there himself.

That folder was trouble with a capital T, R, O, U, B, L, and an E.

Well, okay, not the folder itself but the documents that it carried, or rather the details within those documents about a specific project a small faction of his government was involved in.

At the centre of the top of the folder, typed in large bold capital letters, was the name of this particular project: The Demon Research Initiative.

No sooner had he read the name that he had known nothing good was going to come from that project.

Nothing good ever came from that project.

Well, that was his personal opinion on the project. No matter, he had been right before and he was certain he was going to be proven right once again.

He had not even wasted his time going through every one of the documents that had been provided within the folder. Halfway through, he had stopped reading, closed the folder and had then proceeded to throw the folder across his desk hoping it would fall among the pile of other folders lying at one corner of his office - folders with documents he had categorised as being under the trouble brewing category.

The folder itself of course had other plans. It stubbornly stuck to the edge of the desk, not wishing to join the other documents in the pile. As though pleading with Fury to have a second look at what was inside.

Fury for his part just kept his scowl directed at the folder.

The Demon Research Initiative had been started nearly half a century ago during WWII. Fury had heard whispers at that time about such a project. He had not heeded them. Whispers, rumours; that's what they had been. Nothing more.

It would be another two decades until he would discover that those rumours had not just been rumours but had, in reality, been facts.

From the second he had found out about the project, he had undoubtedly been the most unsupportive of the particular venture. To this day, his views had not faltered.

The government secretly trying to turn everyday individuals such as Rogers into super-soldiers was one thing. Trying to control demons and other such beings to combat and protect the interests of the state on the other hand was, in his opinion something else entirely.

Especially since he knew first hand how uncontrollable these particular creatures the government was so intent on controlling were.

Although he had expressed his concerns and displeasure about the project more than an adequate number of times, the suits upstairs, in his opinion, were too pigheaded to grasp the simple concept that certain things were basically beyond their understanding, their control. No matter how many times he had tried to drill this particular concept into their heads, most of them were too much of a control freak to even consider the notion.

He remembered one particular occasion when the most powerful being in the known and unknown universe - the almighty devourer of worlds, Galactus - had come to earth for the first time with only one goal. To feed on the planet's life-force. Its very life-essence.

Some idiot down at the Pentagon had suggested that they should look for ways to harness the power of this mighty being from beyond the stars. Use it of course for the benefit of the country.

He had laughed then. The world was about to end, but he had laughed. Laughed right at the man's face. He had not been alone.

Simple concepts. Yet, so hard, so very hard to grasp for a few.

He wondered sometimes if they would ever listen to reason or not. And the answer would scream out at him with one word. One word that was both simple, and yet effective at the same time.

No.

Not to mention the fact that if anything went wrong, they could always rely on people like Fury to clean up their messes.

Sometimes, Fury really hated his job. Especially when he was faced with situations such as the Demon Research Initiative, or Project Cadmus, and the like. Yet he would not trade his job for anyone else's on the planet. Just like he wouldn't trust anyone to do his job for him.

A long time ago, he had come to the conclusion that while most people in positions of influence were essentially good people, there were always a few who - blinded by their own ambitions, ended up taking part in certain things that more than often tore at the very soul of his beloved country. Not to mention at times: the world.

Some could ask him how he, a man of considerable influence himself, allowed these certain people to exist. Some could ask him why not stop them before whatever they were taking part in started to endanger people; before a single life started looking insignificant in the face of their goals.

His solemn answer to them would be that he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't touch them. Not until he had enough proof to nail them once and for all; put them behind bars for the rest of their existence if possible.

Otherwise, these people would only take their missions and objectives somewhere else and start the whole process all over again.

He was part of a system and, unfortunately, the people who caused the most trouble were sometimes part of the same system. A system which they used to their full benefit.

Much like those who ran the Demon Research Initiative.

His gut instincts were telling him that he should take a closer look at the operations of this particular incarnation of the Demon Research Initiative. A much closer look. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't do that without garnering the unwanted attention of some higher-ups. He did not need that at the moment.

As soon as someone within the Initiative found out that Nick Fury had taken an interest in their operations, they would simply put off whatever they were up to, only to pick up again at a latter date when they were sure they were not under his intense scrutiny or when they were certain that they would be able to get away with it.

That was something he was not about to allow.

He turned his attention to the pile of folders at one corner of his large office. At any given day, the agents working for S.H.I.E.L.D. on an administrative level would process more than a few thousand cases ranging from simple thefts and kidnappings to possible assassination attempts and secretly sponsored government projects - The Demon Research Initiative being just one of many. Out of these few thousand, a hundred, sometimes less, sometimes more, would most likely reach Nick Fury's office. The cases directed towards him could easily be considered too sensitive for the lower level S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives to handle. Once these cases reached him, it would be up to him to go through the documents, analyse the cases and decide which of the ones among the hundred or so garnered immediate attention and which ones could wait, for a few more hours at the least.

Each and every verdict he prepared regarding which of the cases to follow, and which to postpone as a result, meant that either lives were going to be saved…or lost. All because of his decision.

Safe to declare, being head of S.H.I.E.L.D. was at times not the easiest job in the world.

Sighing, he reached out for the folder and started to sift through it once again.

Fifteen minutes later, he had browsed through each and every one of the documents within the folder. He noticed the mention of a few projects that were being undertaken by the Demon Research Initiative. He had a feeling however that the main projects they were working on had most probably been left out.

Something about experimenting on demons that were being captured, however, caught his eye. Demons to his knowledge might not have any rights but the very thought of people experimenting on anything without giving them any choice in the matter always sent shivers down his spine. To him, people who were willing to torture anything by putting them through gruelling experiments were a lot worse than one man who would kill a thousand without conscience.

He wondered briefly who would be well suited for the task of monitoring the operations of the Demon Research Initiative and reporting back to him without giving himself, or herself away.

Well, he knew that if he simply needed to just beat the living daylights out of someone, whether it be someone from The Initiative or from any other place or organisation - his foremost preference, as at all times, would have been none other than Captain America. Unfortunately, at the current moment, he plainly wanted some surveillance done on the project and its operations. And whatever was found to be reported back to him directly.

Of course, if it later on became necessary to bash in the heads of some of the people working for the Demon Research Initiative... well, the good Captain was only a speed dial away.

Captain America was one of the best covert operatives Nick Fury had ever had the privilege of working with. However, ever since Captain America had exposed himself as Steve Rogers to the entire world, his public face had become one of the most popular in the world. In fact, Fury was willing to bet that the good Captain's face was just as recognisable as the face of the legendary Man of Steel. Therefore, he did not even want to entertain the idea of asking the Captain to undertake such a simple mission on the very likely chance that someone, especially someone from The Initiative, may recognise him.

At one time, he would've called on the X-Man Kitty Pryde for such a mission. Unfortunately, that particular option was no longer feasible. This was due to the fact that not only was Kitty Pryde no longer an X-Man, but she also just happened to be recently married to the son of the one man on this planet, who, even without the mask could still scare the crap out of him… literally.

Not that he was ever going to admit it to anyone of course.

Well, that meant Kitty was out of the question. His next choice would've been Kitty's new hubby of course. Unfortunately, getting the husband involved would end up involving big daddy himself, and involving big daddy would mean involving every one of his little family. And involving every one of his little family would mean more headaches for the old warhorse. Plus, he could've sworn he was running low on aspirins anyway.

Too bad though. Both the young woman, Kitty, and her husband would've made exceptional S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives.

Particularly when it came to operations such as the one he had in mind.

His mind racked through other possibilities. Wolverine came to mind but he quickly dismissed his old friend as he would hear the word experiment and would declare war on the entire project and everyone involved with it.

And just as suddenly it came to him. He turned to one of the pages within the folder that contained information on the current director of the Demon Research Initiative, Professor Maggie Walsh. She was there in Sunnydale as a psychology teacher at the UC Sunnydale, and the semester had just recently started. He could most definitely use that particular cover the Professor was using to keep a close watch on her and her operatives.

Now, Captain America may be a little too old, not to mention too well-known, to actually enrol into college, and he could not even picture Wolverine there. Even the thought of his old friend going anywhere near a college, or having anything to do with one was, well, plain wrong.

But there was someone he knew - who not only would be able to blend in with the student mass at UC Sunnydale without garnering any unwanted attention, but would also be able to carry out the task he had in mind. With training and skills that rivalled that of both Captain America and Wolverine, he knew that the person he had in mind would even be able to infiltrate the Demon Research Initiative facility and bring him any incriminating evidence if there were any to be found. Someone, who, after finding out about the goings on of this particular project, courtesy of him of course, would be more than happy to assist him in closing down this particular incarnation of the Demon Research Initiative.

Until they started somewhere else again of course. But that was a headache for another day and time.

He called an agent into his office and asked him to photocopy the documents in the Demon Research Initiative folder and bring it back to him pronto. By the time the agent returned, Fury had already engrossed himself with another case. He packed the photocopied documents into a parcel labelled "Confidential" and called in another agent to deliver the said parcel to its intended destination.

As the agent left, he sat back in his chair and decided to give Westchester a ring.

**TO BE CONTINUED... **

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Before you go any further - Love it? Hate it? Please do let me know.


	2. A Mini Wolvie and an X23

**SIX SHARP CLAWS AND A MISTER POINTY **

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**Disclaimer:** All familiar characters belong to their respective copyright owners and are being used without their permission. I am not in any way affiliated with any of the groups or organizations that hold rights over the characters that appear in this particular story and neither have I been authorized to write the following story. This is a non-profit fan-based effort and no copyright infringement is intended. So, umm… please don't sue. The plot and particular storyline however belong to me and so do the original characters unless otherwise specified. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. Redistribution of this tale for profit is strictly prohibited. Please obtain my permission before archiving this story anywhere else on the net. Thank you very much. Happy reading!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Timeline: **

**BTVS: **sometime in Season 4

**Marvel/DC: **An alternate world based on both the universes coexisting together from the beginning. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Special thanks for **_markmark261_** for beta-reading this chapter for me.

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**CHAPTER 2: A MINI-WOLVIE AND AN X-23 **

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"WHOA!"

This particularly loud exclamation was moments later followed by a resounding THUD.

"Unnnggghh!" followed not a second later.

She heard it a second before she saw the attack. A growl. It was probably the only warning she was going to get.

She looked up from her position on the floor, wide-eyed as her assailant descended upon her like the wrath of God, one knee poised to destroy anything it landed on. Without thinking she rolled out of the way and into a crouched fighting stance. And not too soon either as the knee connected with the ground where she had just been, making a considerable crack in the wooden floor of the large martial arts training dojo.

Feral green eyes turned in her direction. She clamped down her nervousness and fear, and made her move.

She launched herself from her crouched position into the air and towards her assailant with a flying kick, in hopes of knocking the other girl off-balance, but failed. No matter. As soon as her feet touched the floor, she tried a sweep kick and followed that up with a swift roundhouse kick.

Her assailant simply jumped over the sweep kick and ducked under the roundhouse. She didn't let that discourage her however. Fuelled by her desire to get the upper hand… somehow, she kept on with her attack.

Punch, kick, punch, punch, kick, kick, punch, jab, punch, punch, kick, kick, punch…and not one of them reached their intended mark.

A part of her wanted to cry while another part of her was infuriated. Not only was her aggressor blocking and avoiding all her attacks rather effortlessly, but she was doing so with a slight grin tugging at her face.

Her assailant thought she had the upper hand. She thought she was going to take her down. Well, she was about to be proven wrong.

With a growl of her own, she launched at her assailant with a vicious knee to the face… only for the other girl to not only catch her in midair, but to follow up with something similar to a modified power slam.

As she felt herself go through the momentum of being slammed onto the floor, her only thought was - maybe, this... was not going to be as easy as she had first thought.

She had seen moves similar to this being employed many times on those wrestling shows. They usually landed on padded mats.

There was no padded mat here.

This was going to hurt…badly.

However, even as she readied herself for the pain of being slammed against the ground, she was mildly shocked when her assailant unexpectedly brought that motion to a halt, jerking her entire frame as a result, which, even she had to confess, was still more preferable to what she knew would have been one painful experience.

She turned her startled eyes to meet the ones of her assailant as she was kept dangling a few feet off the floor. She started to relax in the arms of her assailant as she saw the slightly concerned look that greeted her in return. She was about to say she was alright. Too late did she notice the amused twinkle in her assailant's eyes, not to mention the faint twitches at the corners of the other girl's mouth.

Before she knew it, her assailant had let her go, and Rina Elisabeth Logan found herself being dropped rather unceremoniously onto the floor.

Well, she mused, she still preferred being dropped onto the floor rather than being slammed onto it.

She glared up at her assailant, an assailant her father insisted she call sister.

"I hate you."

The other girl just smiled. "And I love you." The girl grabbed one of Rina's hands and hauled the slightly younger girl to her feet with one pull.

"Ow!" Rina whined as she rubbed her shoulder. "You didn't have to pull that hard you know." She pouted.

The other girl just snorted. "Stop being such a whiner." She turned and started walking towards a small bench on top of which lay two bottles of what looked like water and a few small gym towels. "Look on the bright side," the girl said turning her head slightly to look at Rina over her shoulder, "you lasted nearly five minutes against me this time. That's twenty seconds more than the last time."

"Twenty seconds!" Rina exclaimed. "th-that's… that means…"

Her sister finished it for her, "Yup, four minutes and fifty three seconds… your new personal best record."

"Woohoo!"

"Of course, with a little more practice, you'd actually be able to beat me in about another five or six years," the older sister added casually as she sat down onto the floor next to the bench, grabbed one of the bottles of water and started drinking from it.

"…"

Rina's older sister, Laura Kinney Logan, sometimes also known as Laura X, smiled in amusement at the petulant scowl that was now marring Rina's face.

"I really - really hate you." Rina stated as she glared at the other girl menacingly - well, what she obviously thought was a menacing glare. Laura just found it rather cute.

"And you know I'll always keep on loving you," Laura declared with a wink as she took another swig from the bottle. A thoughtful expression crossed her face as she added, "no matter how big a pain in the ass you become."

Watching her younger sister's shoulders slumping somewhat however, Laura swiftly changed her tone from teasing to that of affectionate. "Hey," she asked, not bothering to hide the slight concern in her tone. "What's wrong?"

"Is it really going to take that long for me to be as good as you?" she heard her younger sister enquire in somewhat of a subdued tone.

"Nah." Rina's whole face lit up as she declared, "I was just exaggerating."

"Really?" Rina asked with a hopeful expression on her face.

"Sure," Laura shrugged. "Another two years and you'd be as good as me." A genuine and relieved smile crossed Rina's face. "Heck, you might even become better than me." Rina's smile grew even wider. "All you have to do is train intensely with dad for the next two years," Laura finished pointedly.

Rina's smile vanished, only to be replaced by a slightly horrified expression on her face.

"And if your mom pitches in a few of her moves," Laura added, "I'd be the one having to catch up with you."

A slight pause followed this.

"Train with dad and mom?" Rina asked - her tone indicating that she did not want to believe what her sister was suggesting.

Laura nodded.

A longer pause soon followed which was finally broken by the younger of the two.

"Don't even joke like that," Laura heard her younger sibling state and burst out laughing. "Hey, it's not funny, okay." Rina spoke up indignantly. "Those two are worse than slave drivers."

Laura, after finally composing herself, patted the empty spot next to her - gesturing for Rina to take her seat there. Rina sighed as she walked over and flopped down onto the floor next to her sister. Laura offered her the second bottle of water that was on the bench and a towel to wipe out the sweat from their little sparring session.

"They are not that bad you know," Laura stated once Rina had gulped down some water.

"Yeah, right," the younger of the two scoffed. "When people go on camping trips, they exchange ghost stories. When we X-people go camping, we exchange training-with-Logan stories." She paused for just enough time to gulp down another swig of water before adding, "And don't even get me started on mom. Abbey told me all about her training sessions with mom when she was doing that whole Chosen One thing." She paused for a second and added, "I never really understood what that was all about."

"Hey, don't look at me." Laura waved off any questions Rina may have had. "I don't think even dad understands most of that stuff." She paused for a second before adding, "Plus, your mom doesn't exactly like talking about those days. Dad was still an X-Man back then. And your mom was…"

"Yeah," Rina finished as the older girl trailed off. "I know."

They sat there on the dojo floor in compatible silence for the next few minutes. The silence was finally broken as Laura picked herself up from the floor and gestured for the younger girl to stand up as well. "Come on kiddo, let's go get some chow." She then turned and announced to the room, "End Danger Room Sequence. X-23 logging off."

And immediately, the entire dojo literally morphed from the Japanese martial arts dojo it had been to a large warehouse size metallic looking room.

Rina stared at the empty room in wonder. No matter how many times she had seen that, the holographic technology used in the Danger Room always kept on astounding her. "You coming?" she heard her sister call out, as she headed out of the room carrying her bottle of water and towel.

"Right." She quickly picked up her own bottle and towel and followed the older girl out of the room as two large metallic doors at the far end opened with a swish.

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After a quick shower, both the girls headed up to the ground floor. As they came out of the elevator and stepped into the foyer, Laura suddenly stopped as she caught a familiar scent in the air. A scent she knew belonged to a person who had not been living at the mansion for at least a few months now.

Rina, watching the way her sister had stopped, employed her own heightened sense of smell to pick up whatever it was that suddenly had her sister's interest peaked. Eyes widening upon recognition, she followed her sister down the corridor and watched as her sister stopped at the entrance to the dining room - a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Hey there partner, didja miss me or didja miss me?" a cheerful voice enquired from within the kitchen.

Rina watched as her older sister smiled one of her genuine, yet rare smiles and entered the dining room. A smile the young girl knew was reserved for only a select few. She found herself smiling at the sight and followed the older girl into the dining room moments later to find her and former X-Man, Katherine Pryde, AKA Shadowcat, in a long and fond embrace.

Someone who was now known as Mrs. Katherine Grayson.

Also present in the dining room were members of the X-Men - an older Scott Summers, his wife and - well, as some would put it, his soul mate - Dr. Jean Grey. The ever-regal Ororo Monroe sat on one of the stools beside another long time teammate who was only known as Rogue.

"How you been, X?" Kitty asked as she finally stepped out of the embrace and took in the sight of her former teammate as well as roommate.

Laura just shrugged one shoulder in response. "It's very good to see you," she declared.

Kitty just smiled back earnestly and replied with a nod. "Same here, X, same here."

She then turned to see Rina standing to the side and greeted her just as cheerfully. "Look, it's the mini-wolvie." Rina let out an annoyed growl but a smile soon crossed her lips as Kitty spread her arms out wide and added, "Come 'ere and give me a great big hug."

Rina shook her head, let out a chuckle but obediently obliged.

"I missed you, kiddo," Kitty said as she stepped back from the embrace and ruffled the younger girl's hair a little. Rina swatted the older girl's hand away in good natured annoyance and responded.

"Yeah," she said, "I missed you too."

Kitty smiled at that admission. "So how's the old canucklehead doing? Haven't spoken to him in a few weeks."

"He's alright. Busy saving the world from mom's cooking." Rina stated with a shrug as Jean and Rogue burst into giggles while the corners of Storm's mouth simply curved into a smile.

Nearly everyone who knew Rina's mother knew that she may be considered one of the greatest martial artists on the planet. She may even have skills that were rivalled by only a select few. But unfortunately, cooking just was not one of her fortes.

"Poor Wolvie," Kitty said sympathetically. "Tell him I'd come over some time and help him fend off her killer omelettes and frying pans."

Rina giggled. "Sure."

As Kitty, Laura and Rina took their seats; Ororo got up from her stool and declared, "I will prepare lunch." She looked at both Laura and Rina and stated, "You two must be hungry as well as exhausted after your session in the Danger Room."

"Well, I'm hungry," Rina stated emphaticallly. "As for being exhausted. Laura's the only one of us two who's exhausted. You know… old age and everything." She shook her head in mock sympathy; "Poor girl could hardly keep up."

Kitty and Rogue just laughed out loud at the low growl that escaped Laura's throat.

"I'll help set up the plates," Jean said as she got up from her seat.

As both the older women left for the kitchen, Rogue leaned forward waggling her eyebrows and asked, "So, sugah, tell me. How's lahfe as Mrs. Grayson treating yah?"

Kitty blushed scarlet and tried to hide the smile that had crept on to her face. Rina and Laura just grinned at the sight and leaned forward as well.

Kitty was about to say something when she stopped, and gave someone 'the look'.

The other three girls turned their attention simultaneously at the person "the look" had been directed at - and found Scott Summers, leader of the X-Men, at the receiving end of it - also leaning forward like the other three with something of a goofy smile on his face, waiting for Kitty to begin her tale.

Realising after a few moments that their eyes were trained on him - and why their eyes were trained on him - Scott cleared his throat, stood up from his chair, forced a somewhat awkward smile and said, "I'll, uh, help Jean and Ororo out with the plates."

"I dunno," Kitty mused loudly. "You looked like you really wanted to join in on our girl-talk session."

"Um, uh, no thanks." Scott to his horror, found the words came out in a squawk.

"Yah sure, sugah?" Rogue teased the leader of the X-Men.

"Quite." Scott announced as he hastily made his way out of the room. At the entrance to the room however, ignoring the few giggles that were emanating from the female members of his team, he stopped, turned and said, "And Kitty." Kitty looked up as Scott flashed her a genuine smile this time and declared, "I'm really… really happy for you."

Kitty beamed in response and nodded. "So am I Scott."

Scott Summers took in the contented expression on the face of the one time youngest member of the X-Men, and knew he could not doubt her words. He smiled, nodded and then headed out of the room.

"Alright, Sugah," Rogue stated as she rubbed both her gloved hands in anticipation, "on with the dehtails."

"Yeah," Rina asked excitedly. "What's it like living in Bludhaven? How's the new apartment? How long are you here in Westchester for? Is Dickie in town? What's it like having a butler? What about…"

The young girl's rant was cut off as a hand clamped down on top of her lips. She turned an accusing glare at the older woman with the white streak in her hair as Rogue said, "Hold on theah, sugah. Take a breathah and give the gal some room tah speak."

Deflated, Rina scowled at the older woman but sat down quietly. After all, she could always ask Kitty those questions later on. And she only had a few hundred to ask.

The next half an hour, the four girls spent talking about the marital bliss that was now part of the life of one Katherine Grayson. Soon, lunch was served as a few of the other residents of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning joined the four. Notable among them were members of the X-Men currently present at the mansion - Dr. Henry McCoy, Monet St. Croix, Betsy Braddock, Sage, Bishop, and Bobby Drake.

True to say, everyone was happy to have the former X-Man back in their midst.

Even if it was only for a short while.

**TO BE CONTINUED... **

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before you go any further - Love it? Hate it? Please do let me know.


	3. Talks, Missions and Revelations

**SIX SHARP CLAWS AND A MISTER POINTY **

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Disclaimer: **All familiar characters belong to their respective copyright owners and are being used without their permission. I am not in any way affiliated with any of the groups or organizations that hold rights over the characters that appear in this particular story and neither have I been authorized to write the following story. This is a non-profit fan based effort and no copyright infringement is intended. So, umm… please don't sue. The plot and particular storyline however belong to me and so do the original characters unless otherwise specified. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. Redistribution of this tale for profit is strictly prohibited. Please obtain my permission before archiving this story anywhere else on the net. Thank you very much. Happy reading!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Timeline: **

**BTVS: **sometime in Season 4

**Marvel/DC: **An alternate world based on both the universes coexisting together from the beginning. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Special thanks for **_markmark261_** for beta-reading this chapter for me.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**CHAPTER 3: TALKS, MISSIONS AND REVELATIONS **

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It was well past noon, and everyone had pretty much returned to whatever it was they had been busy with before lunch was served. Rogue, Laura, Rina, Ororo and Betsy were still talking to Kitty about her new life as not just a married woman, but a woman who happened to be married to the adopted son of one of the richest men on the planet.

It was then that the phone in the hall rang out.

'Laura.'

If Laura was startled to hear the sudden voice in her head, she did not show it. She turned her gaze coolly at the entrance and watched as Monet passed it and headed off in some random direction. For the briefest of instances, the eyes of the beautiful Moroccan met hers as she passed by and Laura once again heard the young woman's voice in her head.

'Fury wants to have a word with you.'

'Thanks, M,' Laura sent back.

'Don't mention it,' Monet replied back as she disappeared around a corner.

Laura stayed where she was for a few more minutes, listening to the conversation going on around her, and not really participating. Her mind was, of course, on something else entirely than Kitty's life as a married woman.

Why was Fury calling? What did he want?

Finally, she stood up from her seat and started heading out of the room - only to meet her first obstacle.

"Hey, where are you going?"

She turned to find Kitty looking at her inquisitively.

"I'm just heading up to my room. Need to make a call," Laura said in a casual tone, not wanting anyone in the room to be suspicious of whom she was about to call. Before her good friend could say anything else, she turned and headed out of the room. Just before leaving the room however, she sent back over her shoulder, "Be back in a few."

"Okay," Kitty nodded and went back to talking with the others.

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Laura entered her room and went straight to a cupboard at one corner. She opened it. Inside, it looked like most other cupboards, albeit being just a little messy. Opening a small drawer, she fished out a modified S.H.I.E.L.D. communicator after a few seconds. Turning it on, she simply waited patiently for the only person in the entire world who could be reached via the communicator.

She didn't have to wait long.

"Hey kid," she heard Fury say. "How ya been?"

"What do you want Fury?" Laura asked, not wasting time on pleasantries.

There was a brief pause that followed this. It was finally broken by what suspiciously sounded like a chuckle from the other end of the line.

"I need you to go on a small mission for me," she heard Fury state. Another slightly shorter pause followed this, as though Fury was waiting for her to protest or turn him down. Most likely grateful that she hadn't, he continued on. "I need you to do some surveillance for me. Infiltration if necessary. Your target: An old government project involved in capturing and experimenting on demons."

At the mention of the word experiment, Laura let out a low growl.

At the other end of the line, Nick Fury heard it, and knew immediately that she was going to take the job.

"Go outside. An agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be waiting for you with a parcel outside the mansion perimeter. Use password 1552 to get it from him. Have a look through the documents; call me back when you are done reading and I'll let you know what I want done."

"Understood," Laura stated as she cut off the connection.

She walked outside, making sure that she avoided most of the residents on her way out - which was quite hard to accomplish given that many members of the X-Men were back at the mansion. At least the other teams were not around. Everyone always wanted to stop and talk.

She walked the half mile to the main gates to the mansion and stepped into Graymalkin Lane. There, in the distance she could see a man dressed in a three-piece black suit waiting for her while leaning against a large black saloon.

Laura fought the urge to roll her eyes at the sight.

Conspicuous much?

The man saw her walking up to him and stood up straight.

"Password."

Keeping her face neutral, Laura responded, "Your dad is an old fart."

Even though S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were trained since the very beginning to maintain a neutral expression no matter what, Laura could plainly see the faint tightening of the man's facial muscles, relaying his slight annoyance at the statement, or rather, what was password 1552.

As the man reached into the car and pulled out a S.H.I.E.L.D. folder marked "Confidential" and handed it to her - she wondered offhandedly if the agent was even aware that Fury was annoyed at him for some reason or another.

Fury had, to her knowledge, never been very creative when it came to passing out insults. He had always been one to walk up to a person and say whatever he felt like saying.

Sometimes however, like in this particular instance for example, he did take pleasure in sneaking in an insult without having to be anywhere around the person.

The agent's work done, he gave her a curt nod, stepped into the car and drove off.

Laura watched the car disappear into the distance and then headed back into the mansion.

She went straight to her room and proceeded to sift through the documents, taking in and processing every detail that had been provided within the parcel at an alarming rate.

Having a photographic memory did have its perks.

A slight knock on the door made her look up from the papers she was looking at. "Come in," she said, even as she folded the documents and placed them back into the parcel.

The door opened and Kitty poked her head inside. Not wanting Kitty to ask questions about the parcel, she casually opened her drawer on her bedside table, as though looking for something, and deposited the parcel within the drawer. She let a slight frown cross her face, if only to show Kitty she had not found whatever it was she had been looking for. She finally closed the drawer and turned to her friend.

"You know," Laura stated, "time was you'd have phased right through that very door without knocking or anything."

Kitty shrugged. "Well, this isn't exactly my room anymore," she said as she flopped down on the bed opposite to the one Laura was sitting on.

"Yeah," Laura nodded quietly.

Truth was, Kitty may have always been a little too perky for her liking, but, over time, she had developed a friendship, a type of bond as some would call it, with the Chicago-born native such that she truly missed the older woman's presence around the mansion. She watched as Kitty gazed around the room, her eyes taking on something of a wistful look.

"Not much has changed, huh?" Kitty said as she finally turned her eyes on her former roommate.

Laura smiled. "Considering whom I'm sharing the room with right now, did you really expect anything else?"

Kitty let out a chuckle. "Talking about our little firecracker, where is she? I thought she was usually here during the weekends."

"She's staying over in New York with dad for this weekend." Laura smirked. "He's taking her shopping for new clothes."

Kitty's eyes widened for the briefest of seconds, after which she burst out laughing. After composing herself, she finally asked the other girl, who was also sporting an amused smile on her face. "So, what did Logan do this time to endure an entire weekend with Jubes… and at a mall nonetheless?"

"Dunno. I think he kinda felt bad 'cause he wasn't around for her seventeenth birthday. Think he's trying to make up for it." Laura paused for a moment. She shrugged and suggested, "Or maybe she just wanted to go shopping and gave him the look."

"Ah, yes." Kitty nodded. "The patented Jubilee pout. Alas, we've all fallen prey to it one time or another."

Laura waved it off. "Oh, you haven't seen Rina's patented pout yet. Jubilee's decided she's going to strike out on her own. And to do that, she's decided she needs a sidekick… and Rina's it. And I hear Remy's joined her as well. Jubilee's teaching them both the art of getting what you want with something as simple as a pout."

Kitty quirked an amused eyebrow at the mention of one of her good friends, Gambit. "Really?" she shrugged. "Well, I'm not really surprised that Gambit decided to join her. He does fall in the same age group with Jubilee and Rina. Well, mentally anyways."

Laura nodded. "Yeah. I heard back at YJ headquarters, they were driving Frosty so mad that she decided that she needed to take care of some business… on the other side of the States."

Kitty laughed again. She remembered how much she had missed this place. She composed herself before asking her former roommate, "So… what was in the parcel?"

Damn.

It was the first word that went through Laura's mind.

"Its nothing important." Laura just waved it off. Kitty just quirked a well-trimmed eyebrow at this dismissal. Laura sighed, knowing that she may as well tell her friend a little about the mission. Knowing her, she would find out one way or another. "It's just something Fury wanted me to have a look at." Kitty nodded as Laura continued. "Surveillance for now, infiltration if necessary. The usual walk in the park kind of assignment."

Kitty chewed on her lower lips for a brief moment and then said in a serious tone, "You are going to let me know if it becomes too much for you to handle, right?"

At the frown that suddenly creased Laura's brows, Kitty quickly added, "Not that I don't believe you can't pull it off, but, well… you know that I worry about you, right?"

Laura's expression hardened slightly. "Kitty," she said in a serious tone, "I'm not the eight-year-old girl Dad and Cap saved from the Weapon X project."

Kitty got up from her perch on the bed and took a few steps forward but stopped when Laura turned her head away. "I'm sorry, X; it's just that… we lost you again after that when you were only fifteen… and… I just don't want to…"

She trailed off as Laura held her hand up to stop her from continuing. "Kitty, I appreciate the sentiment." Even as Laura said this, it did not escape Kitty's notice how cold the other girl's voice had sounded. "But, I… remember what HYDRA did to me. I have to live with the consequences every day." She looked up and smiled. "In some ways, they made me much stronger than I ever was. You know that saying, there's a silver lining behind every cloud."

Kitty nodded as her friend continued. "They were able to take me away from here because I was young, and I was naïve." Her eyes met those of Kitty Grayson's as she said, "I'm not young, and I'm not naïve any more. I know my strengths and I know my limits. And trust me; Fury knows more than anyone what my limits are. He wouldn't ask me to take on something which would end up with him being on the receiving end of Dad's claws."

Kitty let out a deep sigh. "I know, X, but I know more than anyone how things can go from good to bad, and then from bad to worse." She flopped down on the bed she had been sitting on before and said, "Every time I think of Fury asking any one of us to go on a mission, it reminds me of the first mission I ever undertook for him."

Laura's expression softened slightly. "Don't worry. I really don't think I'm going to have to deal with a fanatical telepath bent on world domination," she assured the young woman seated opposite her. She frowned slightly and added, "At least I hope not."

"Don't even joke like that," Kitty chided her young friend.

Laura gave her friend an apologetic look. "Sorry, I sometimes forget how that Brother Blood incident affected you."

Kitty rubbed her arms and shuddered slightly at some distant memory. "Still," she sighed as she added, "One good thing came out of being nearly brainwashed by a maniacal telepath though." She looked up to meet her former roommate's eyes, smiled and added, "Me and Dick, or Nightwing as I knew him back then became very good friends."

"Yeah." Laura smirked at the young woman who had been one of the first people to have befriended her when she arrived at the X-Mansion all those years ago. "You guys became re-e-ally good friends now, didn't you?" she teased with a wink.

Kitty blushed slightly at the implied comment.

Laura smiled at the blush that crept across her friend's face. She sighed and started, "You know, I hate the fact that we can't tell most of the X-Men who Dick really is."

"We can't," Kitty said, looking up sharply.

Laura immediately held up her arms defensively. "I know, I know. It's just that… most of us here who don't know who Dick really is… are still a little wary of him." Kitty closed her eyes and sighed as Laura continued. "I'm sorry, Kitty, but besides me, the Professor, Scott, Jean, Dad, and Gambit, all the others know is that he was one of your closest friends while you guys were studying at Hudson University. And that he was okay with you being a mutant. They just… when you guys started dating a year ago, many of them thought that it was just a phase you were going through. They didn't know it would become serious enough to actually get to a matrimonial stage. Especially since everyone knows he's completely human."

"Dick was right," Kitty closed her eyes and looked down at the floor. "The X-Men are a bunch of hypocrites."

Laura smiled. "Actually, I think it was Nightwing who said that."

Kitty gave the younger girl a slightly annoyed look. Laura just smirked in return. Kitty huffed.

"You know what I mean. The Professor's been teaching us from day one about living in peaceful coexistence with normal humans. Well, here I am, married to a normal human…" Laura coughed at the obvious irony in that statement as Kitty glared menacingly at her former roommate but continued, "…normal human, living his dream of peaceful coexistence, and suddenly everyone is asking questions as to how I could end up with him." Kitty growled. "Goddamn bunch of hypocrites."

Laura smiled sadly and stated, "You can't really blame them now, can you? Just normal humans have caused us so much grief over the years; it's… become something of a reflex to not trust anyone who does not have the X-Gene in their blood."

Kitty groaned. "I know. But," she looked up pleadingly to Laura and asked, "why can't they just accept the fact that I love him?" Kitty got up from the bed and started pacing the room. "I didn't marry him because of the Professor's dream. I married him because I couldn't see myself with anyone else in the future." She turned to face her former roommate who was watching her every move. "I love him. I hate the fact that everyone is not willing to see that."

"I'm sorry," Laura said with an earnest tone. "I like him a lot too. I wish everyone accepted him as your husband. But…" she looked to meet the eyes of her friend as she stated the obvious, "I think in some ways, they always hoped that you'd end up with Peter… not some unknown."

Kitty's face became solemn at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. Her first crush, her first love. She walked up to the large windows that donned one of the walls giving her a perfect view of the woods at the back of the mansion. She shook her head and said, "My relationship with Piotr was all wrong."

Laura swallowed the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat and looked down at the floor. Unlike the others, she had been aware of the fact that Kitty had been having some… problems in her relationship with the Russian powerhouse when they had been dating.

"He loved me, and I loved him. But he always treated me like as though I was made of glass. Like I needed to be protected." Kitty turned and faced her former roommate. "Dick isn't like that. I could be in the middle of a fight with more than twenty guys while on patrol and Piotr would ask me to hang on, that he would be there as soon as he could. Like as though I wouldn't be able to handle myself." She smiled. "Dick wouldn't do that. He hears I'm going up against twenty people and he'll ask me whether I want Chinese or just pizza when I get back home."

A small pause followed this.

"He believes in me. He knows and believes in what I'm capable off. Piotr never could do that. He could never reconcile the image of the woman I became to the young and insecure little girl he fell in love with. And that's what drove us apart in the end."

A considerable pause followed this statement. "I think the reason me and Dick remained such good friends over the years is that both of us were trying to prove to the world that we had grown up. That we could be our own people," she finished. She turned to Laura and smiled. "In and out of costume, he has always treated me like an equal. Even though we clearly had advantages over one another in a few areas. We… understand each other. It's all I've ever wanted from someone."

Laura smiled at her oldest friend. "I know. Dad was very happy that you chose to settle with Dick. He always did like him a lot."

Kitty snorted. "Yeah, especially since he told him that he's been under the bat-glare for too long to be afraid of Wolvie's claws."

Laura nodded and grinned. "I remember." Then she shuddered. "Though, that Bat-glare is something." She looked up to her friend. "How's he doing by the way?"

Kitty shrugged. "You know… being his typical dark and gloomy self." She paused for a beat before looking up to meet Laura's eyes and said, "Cassandra said hello."

Laura, at the mention of the name of Cassandra, suddenly found her heart skipping a beat and her mouth going dry. She licked her suddenly dry lips to get some moisture onto them. She looked away and proceeded to ask in a quiet voice, "How is she doing?"

"Good," Kitty replied as she sat down on her bed. "She has learned lots of new words. Barbara's helping her with it. I help out as well." she paused for a beat. "She misses having you around."

"I-I miss her too," Laura admitted - stuttering slightly with her eyes looking down at the floor.

Kitty smiled a little sadly at her young friend.

Laura Kinney Logan had so much in common with Cassandra Cain - current wielder to the mantle of the Batgirl. Both of them - born and bred to be living weapons.

When Cassandra had been found by the Batman, he had found someone without the ability to communicate with anyone other than himself… literally. It had taken him just a few days to deduce exactly how Cassandra had been trained and who in fact had trained her.

He had also discovered that Cassandra had little if no knowledge about how the world worked. Since he knew that he could not be around to teach her everything all the time, after much consideration, he had called on a meeting with Professor Xavier - who was one of the few X-Men to have been aware of Batman's dual identity - and had explained to him that he needed Laura to stay at Wayne Manor for a few weeks to help someone adjust to living there. A person who, despite being human, had a very similar childhood to that of Laura's.

The Professor had told him that he would forward his request to Laura and see if she could help or not.

Laura, after finding out about Cassandra, had immediately agreed to help out in any way she could. The fact that a human girl had been put through, in all probability, the same amount, if not more, training than herself, had made Laura's blood boil in feral fury. She had wanted more than anything just to see the girl and just… to meet her. Talk to her. Ask her who had done this to her. Ask her how she had survived.

Of course, as she had soon found out, none of those answers had been forthcoming. Well, not in the way that anyone had hoped they would be.

Cassandra and Laura had talked alright, the first time they had met. Only spoken words had not been used anywhere in the conversation they had had.

There were movements. Faint gestures. A few twitches here and there. To anyone else, the two girls, during their first meeting, would have seemed like… statues. Standing opposite each other… not moving. Just staring at each other. And even in a stare, a blink of an eye, a slight tilt of the head, an imperceptible frown, they communicated. They talked. They smiled. They found in each other kindred souls. And Cassandra Cain met the first real friend in her life.

Over the course of the next few weeks, under the supervision of Batman, Laura had taught many things to Cassandra. From just what was what in the mansion, and around Gotham, to who was who.

Laura smiled as she remembered that while helping the other girl, Cassandra had told Laura (in her own little way) about what her thoughts on the people who surrounded her then were.

Batman. He had given her food and new clothes. But most of all, he had given her shelter. Apparently, she had been running from her father… or trainer as Batman called the assassin David Cain, nearly all her life. The Dark Knight had given her a place where she could finally stop running, and feel protected - for quite possibly the first time in her life.

Batman was - to her young eyes - her new father in every sense of the word. A role the legendary superhero was still getting used to filling.

The cliché that the way to a man's - or rather, in this case, a woman's - heart was through their stomach pretty much described Cassandra's relationship with the oldest person in the mansion. The Englishman who was, in more ways than one, a father figure to one of the greatest heroes on the planet, Alfred Pennyworth.

He had rapidly climbed to the top of Cassandra's favourite persons' list (which in fact wasn't really all that long to begin with); especially once the youthful Asian had discovered that, if she hung around the older Englishman for a certain amount of time, he was sure to make her something absolutely delicious to eat.

Cassandra's thoughts of Nightwing, AKA Dick Grayson, used to make Laura chuckle. They did not get along that well. Especially because of the verbal bouts he often had with her new father.

It seemed that whenever Dick had his disagreements with Bruce, it seemed to upset him somewhat - something that even Laura with all her abilities hadn't picked up on. What she had however picked up on was the fact that whatever seemed to distress the Dark Knight, in turn ended up upsetting the young Asian.

Fortunately for the former Boy Wonder, Cassandra had only asked Laura a few times if she could break Nightwing's legs - just to see how he would ride that loud machine (his bike).

Though, she didn't quite understand why she was not allowed to break Nightwing's legs (fortunately for him), Cassandra was, at that time, willing to listen to Laura as Batman had told her in his own way (accompanied by the legendary Bat-glare) that she was to accept Laura's decision in all matters. No matter what they were.

While Dick annoyed the young Martial Artist, Tim, AKA the current Robin, on the other hand, simply made Cassandra laugh. Plainly because he was so fearful of her most of the time.

Cassandra's favourite pastime therefore had been to sneak up on the young Boy Wonder and simply shock the daylights out of him.

Of course, Robin had complained about it to his boss but Batman had merely believed that, in the long run, this… game that Cassandra played with him would facilitate in making him a lot more aware of his surroundings - an assertion that had made the Boy Wonder whine, gripe, and grumble a lot of times, before he had finally submitted to his fate.

Kitty and Barbara on the other hand had both crawled their way into Cassandra's good graces by offering her the one thing that was a sure-fire way to win the heart of any girl on the planet.

By bribing the young Asian with lots and lots of ice-cream. A particular item Cassandra had been deprived of her entire life.

Though, Barbara, for one, also used the promise of ice-cream to get the young woman to do some studying from time to time - a particular activity Cassandra hated with a passion.

And then of course, there was Laura herself.

As Cassandra's first and only friend, Cassandra absolutely loved being around the mutant clone. Laura didn't know if Cassandra understood what the phrase 'best friend' meant, but she had this feeling that Cassandra - in her own little way - saw Laura as her best friend.

Considering the fact that Laura was one of two people at the mansion who could converse with Cassandra (using body language), it was easier for Laura - more than the others - to understand the other girl's needs, moods… even her fears. And given their eerily similar pasts, it was only a matter of seconds (as Batman had predicted) before they would both start getting along.

Weeks had soon turned into months with the two girls spending almost every waking minute together. Over time, Laura had started caring for the young Asian so much so that she hadn't even realised that she had slowly, but surely, developed feelings… deeper feelings than any friend should have towards another friend, until… well…

She felt Kitty's hands over hers, squeezing them a little gently. She looked up to see her former roommate kneeling in front of her, looking back at her with a concerned expression on her face.

"X, you going to be okay?" she heard her ask a little cautiously.

"Bruce was right," Laura heard herself say to the other girl. "I did the right thing by leaving Gotham when I did. She barely understood anything, let alone…" Laura trailed off as Kitty pulled the younger girl into an embrace. She put her arms around Kitty and let the comfort her old friend was offering wash over her. "She was not ready. I did the right thing by leaving Gotham," she heard herself saying somewhat forcibly. "I swear I didn't mean to… I didn't even know when and how it happened but I swear… I didn't mean to…"

"Shh… shh." Laura quieted as Kitty comforted her by shushing her while rubbing her back in a soothing gesture. "Its okay, kiddo. No one's blaming you. Bruce is very proud of the decision you made. Cassandra may not understand why you had to leave, but, she will one day, okay."

"And w-what will she do then?" Kitty heard her young friend ask - her voice shaking slightly. "When she understands… what will she do then?"

Kitty pulled out of the embrace, took Laura's hands in hers, looked into the girl's eyes and said, shaking her head sadly, "I wish I knew, X. I wish I knew."

Laura's face fell slightly. For once, she wished she had the power of precognition. Wanting to change the subject, she asked, "So, how long are you here in Westchester for?"

Understanding, and respecting the younger girl's need to change subjects, Kitty complied by getting up from her kneeling position on the floor, and stretching her back in a lazy arc before replying, "Rina told me she's heading back home in the evening. Thought I'd drop her off and see Wolvester at the same time."

Kitty let out a giggle. "Maybe see if I can save him from Jubes."

Laura smiled. "He'll be glad to see you." She then added pointedly, "And not because you'll be saving him from Jubes."

Kitty smiled back earnestly and nodded. "I know."

The door to the room suddenly swung open as the youngest of Wolvie's girls walked in.

"What're you guys doing in here?" Rina said sounding a little annoyed. "You know how hard it is to track you down when you go all Casper on me," she said, looking pointedly at Kitty.

Kitty grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. Needed to talk to your sister about some stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Rina asked, being the ever-curious one.

"Nothing important." It was Laura who answered this time around.

Rina rolled her eyes. "Fine. See if I care."

"'Kay." Laura shrugged.

"Well… I don't… care that is," Rina stated. Vehemently.

Laura nodded, while the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. Her younger sister was so full of curiosity that sometimes Laura had to wonder whether the young girl was really the daughter of her father and Elektra… or her father and Catwoman.

Laura closed her eyes in relief when she saw her younger sister deflating slightly. At least, she wouldn't need to bother about her insistent questioning at the moment.

Rina grabbed Kitty by the hand and started to drag her out of the room. "And where exactly are we going?" Kitty asked, as she was dragged behind the shorter girl.

"Danger Room," Rina said. She turned and smirked. "I wanna show you all the stuff I've learned over the last few months."

Kitty grinned at the enthusiastic look on the younger girl's face and started to follow her out of the room. At the entrance, she stopped and looked back. "Hey, you coming?"

Laura looked up. She smiled and nodded. "Go ahead. I'll catch up in a few."

Kitty nodded understandingly. Rina however just looked at her sister and asked, "What's wrong with you? You look like your boyfriend just dumped you or something." She paused for a beat before asking, "Do you even have a boyfriend?"

Laura scowled at her younger counterpart. "Don't make me come down to the Danger Room and kick your ass."

Rina scowled back, placed her hands on her hips, and responded, "Hah! I'd like to see you …"

She trailed off with a "Yelp!" as Laura stood up from the bed lightning fast - making the younger girl jump slightly. As Laura rushed forward to grab at the younger girl, Rina forgot all about showing Kitty everything she had learned and just made a mad dash down the hallway and away from her sometimes-frightening sister.

Laura stood in the hallway watching her sister dart away, a huge and satisfied smile plastered across her face. She turned to Kitty who had watched the scenario playing in front of her in slight amusement.

"I feel a lot better," Laura stated as Kitty let out a chuckle. "You better go and catch up with her before she decides to leave the county."

"Aye, aye," Kitty said with a mock salute, as she headed down the path Rina had taken. "Catch you in a bit."

Laura nodded. She closed the door as she entered the room. She went over to her cupboard and fished out the same communicator she had used to call Fury.

A nice relaxing mission was just what she needed at the moment.

It was after three rings that Fury picked it up. Without waiting for him to say anything, she stated, "Count me in."

A slight pause followed this before finally Fury's voice came through from the other side.

"Good. Pack yer bags, kid. Yer going to college."

**TO BE CONTINUED... **

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Before you go any further - Love it? Hate it? Please do let me know.


	4. Mild Mannered Student by Day

**SIX SHARP CLAWS AND A MISTER POINTY **

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**Disclaimer:** All familiar characters belong to their respective copyright owners and are being used without their permission. I am not in any way affiliated with any of the groups or organizations that hold rights over the characters that appear in this particular story and neither have I been authorized to write the following story. This is a non-profit fan-based effort and no copyright infringement is intended. So, umm… please don't sue. The plot and particular storyline however belong to me. And so do the original characters unless otherwise specified. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. Redistribution of this tale for profit is strictly prohibited. Please obtain my permission before archiving this story anywhere else on the net. Thank you very much. Happy reading!

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**Timeline: **

**BTVS:** Season 4… after Episode 65 "Something Blue". Spoilers from Season 4.

**Marvel/DC:** An alternate world based on both the universes coexisting together from the beginning. 

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Special thanks for **_markmark261_** for beta-reading this chapter for me.

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**CHAPTER 4: MILD-MANNERED STUDENT BY DAY **

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She moved through the throng of students as they hurried past each other to reach their prospective classes. Everyone was rushing about and so was she.

She stopped in the middle of the hallway for a few seconds to see if she could spot her best friend and roommate. She was supposed to meet her there just before class.

At first, she did not quite notice the few glares and scowls that were being thrown her way for standing in the middle of the hallway during what most people at UC Sunnydale would call rush-hour. Suddenly feeling the gaze of some of the students on her, she realised too late that she had been standing in their way as one of the passing students bumped into her - whether intentionally or not she would never know - nearly knocking her off her feet.

"Oofff!" she let out as she tried not to lose her balance and fall onto the floor. With so many students around, she did not really feel like embarrassing herself.

She was however, saved from that particular fate by a pair of strong arms that grabbed her, stopping her from falling, and kept her upright. She turned to her rescuer and found herself face-to-face with one Riley Finn.

"Hey, watch it!" she heard him say to the retreating figure of the person who had just bumped into her. He turned his gaze on her - a slightly concerned gaze at that - and asked, "Willow… are you alright?"

"Umm, yeah!" Willow responded, nodding her head. She smiled at him in appreciation. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

He scowled one last time in the direction the person had dashed off to, before turning to the redhead and asking, "Going to Psyche 101?" Willow nodded as he started walking towards their class. She fell in step beside the taller man.

"Where's Buffy?" he asked her as they neared the classroom. "Usually you guys are always together when coming to class."

Willow, in response, just shrugged. "I think she just …"

At that very moment, she was interrupted by a somewhat loud and evidently cheerful "Hey, guys!" as the culprit in question seemingly appeared out of nowhere and planted herself right in their path.

A startled Willow found herself - for the second time that morning - nearly falling on her 'behind'. This second time due to the sudden appearance of her best friend right in front of her.

Riley caught her and kept her upright once again.

This time, however, he could not stop himself from letting a small chuckle escape his lips - which of course he stifled immediately when he saw the look - and a rather miffed look at that - that the shorter redhead was shooting his way.

Deciding that starting a conversation with Buffy at that point would be a wise choice, he turned to face the beautiful blonde and greeted her. "Hey, Buffy. We were just talking about you."

Buffy's face lit up at that revelation. "You were?" Then an unsure look crossed her face as she asked. "Wait, what were you two saying about me?"

"I was just asking Willow here where you were. Since you two usually come to class together."

That answer seemed to satisfy Buffy as her mouth formed an "Oh" as she bobbed her head understandingly. She then stated. "I was just down at the cafeteria." She raised a Styrofoam cup she was holding in one hand and elaborated. "Caffeiney goodness in the morning. Yum!"

Riley nodded as the trio started towards their class again.

"Didn't you get enough sleep last night?" he asked Buffy - slight concern evident in his voice as he saw the diminutive blonde gulp down whatever caffeinated drink she had bought from the cafeteria.

"Something like that." When Riley cocked his head curiously in response to her answer, she elaborated. "It was just one of those nights… you know?"

Riley nodded and smiled understandingly. "Yeah! I know."

Buffy returned his smile rather goofily and Riley's own smile that had just been directed towards her turned goofy in response.

Watching this happening in front of her, Willow rolled her eyes and grinned as she shook her head imperceptibly. 'When were these two going to officially go out on a date?' she wondered. And that picnic they were having a few days ago when she was going through her Mopey-Willow phase did not count.

Plus, now that her own love life had decided to take a hiatus - for who knows how long - she had decided that she needed to live vicariously through the love life of others.

"Hey, Riley, are you alright?" She was brought out of her musings by Buffy's question which had been directed towards their tall friend.

Riley nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

A slight frown tugged at Willow's forehead as she noticed Riley force a smile at her best friend's inquisitive look.

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked again. "Cause you're acting all fidgety." Buffy cocked her head slightly and added, "Actually, the closer we are getting to the class the more fidgety you seem to be getting." She smiled mischievously, waggled a finger at Riley and asked in a voice mostly reserved for five-year-olds, "Is Mr Finn in trouble with Professor Walsh?"

"Umm - no, I mean… of course not," he stated emphatically. He sighed when he realised that particular statement had sounded pathetic even to his own ears.

Seeing the 'try-another-one-buster' look he was receiving from both of his female compatriots, he finally relented. "Sorry," he started, "I was just hoping Professor Walsh would be in a better mood this morning… that's all."

"Why wouldn't Professor Walsh be in a good mood?" Willow asked. For a human, Professor Walsh was scarier than most demons they had fought already. She did not even want to imagine what the woman would look like when upset. "Should we be worried?"

"Nah." Riley shook his head. Then he seemed to ponder over something as he added, with a shrug, "The Professor's just a little worked up over the new student who just…"

"There's a new student?" Buffy asked, interrupting him. Then she frowned. "Wait, we are nearing the middle of a semester. How did someone manage to join…?"

She trailed off as she noticed Riley let out an exasperated sigh. "Tell me about it. Apparently this new student has been with the university since the start of the semester. Enrolled and everything. She had to go back home to deal with some sort of family emergency before the classes started, though." Riley turned to Buffy and Willow as he continued. "You know how the Professor hates it when people miss her classes. Let's just say when she found out that the girl had missed nearly half the semester as well as a few of her class tests, she wasn't that keen on letting her back into the class."

As they finally entered the classroom and Riley noticed that Professor Walsh had not yet arrived, he continued. "We were over at the Dean's place, with the girl there, last night - discussing whether to let the girl attend the rest of this semester or not. Well, Maggie wanted her to start her classes from the start of the next semester, and the Dean was alright with her suggestion… until the girl broke down and literally started bawling."

"Aww!" Willow, always the sympathetic one, stated. "Poor girl."

"Tell me about it." Riley sighed and shook his head as he sat at the edge of Professor Walsh's desk - folding his arms in front of his chest in the process. "The Dean, not used to students crying their heart out in his home finally convinced the Professor to let the girl attend her classes as well as give the girl a few tests to make up for the ones she had missed out on." He sighed. "It… well, kind of annoyed the Professor a little that the Dean was letting the girl join the semester just because he felt sorry for her. Anyways… let's just say I'm finding out first hand what it's like to be the TA of a very irritated Professor Maggie Walsh."

Buffy shot him a sympathetic look. "Poor you!"

Riley just waved it off. "Don't worry about it." He let his gaze wander over the students who were just beginning to take their seats. "As long as everyone's done their reading and doesn't end up giving the Professor any more grief…" His voice trailed off as he noticed the slightly wide-eyed look Buffy was giving him. He all of a sudden felt a lump forming in his throat. Cautiously, he asked - even as a part of his mind screamed, 'like you already don't know the answer' - "Umm, you did do your reading… right? Buffy?"

'Please tell me you did your reading. Please tell me you did your reading.'

Buffy shifted her gaze from Riley to Willow, and then back to Riley again.

'Please tell me you did your reading. Please tell me you did your reading.'

"There was… uh, reading?" She asked in her most sugary-sweet apologetic voice.

Riley groaned. He then shook his head and chuckled. "Just… try and stay awake… for my sake. I'm the one who has to spend the rest of the day with her."

Buffy nodded emphatically. "I can do that." She nodded again to herself. "I can do that."

Willow finally piped in helpfully. "I'll make sure she stays awake."

Riley shot her a grateful look just as he looked over their shoulders at the classroom door and shot someone a smile. Buffy and Willow turned to see a young woman who looked to be about the same age as them waiting at the threshold of the classroom, as though waiting for an invitation.

"Hey," Riley greeted the girl as he walked past Willow and Buffy. "Laurie… right?" he asked a little unsurely.

Both Willow and Buffy watched as the girl, who had a round but pretty face, green eyes behind a pair of dark-rimmed spectacles, long and straight black hair tied into a ponytail, and who was wearing a blue full sleeve shirt, black baggy jeans and a pair of sneakers, smiled a nervous smile back at Riley and nodded.

"Y-yes," the girl stuttered out timidly. "It's Laurie."

"Right!" Riley said offering her a reassuring smile. "I met you last night at the Dean's place." The girl nodded emphatically. "Riley." He offered her his hand. The girl for a second simply stared at the offered hand and then just as Riley was about to retrieve it, she took it in her own and shook it.

"Sorry," she offered as she shook Riley's hand. "I'm just…a little…"

"Nervous?" Riley finished for her as the girl smiled at him shyly again. He chuckled good-heartedly. "Don't worry about it. First day's always a little rough."

He looked down at the small shoulder bag she was holding and asked, "Did you get a chance to buy the books yet?"

The girl shook her head. "No… sorry, but I uh, didn't get a chance to get to the store yet."

"Do you know where it is?"

"No, but I'm pretty sure I can find it." She paused for a beat before finally admitting, "I… think."

"Listen," Riley started, as he saw the unsure look on Laurie's face, "how about after class, if I'm free, I show you where the store is?"

Laurie smiled her shy smile again. "That's very nice of you." Another unsure expression passed over her face as she stated, "But… I really don't want to be a bother…"

"Hey," Riley cut her off with a wave of his hand, "don't worry about it. I just want to make sure that your first days here at UC Sunnydale go smoothly."

"Th-thanks."

After a slight pause, Riley asked, "So, which hall are you staying in again?"

"Stevenson Hall."

Riley cocked an eyebrow at the mention of that particular hall. "Really?"

He turned to Willow and Buffy, who had been standing to the side all this time listening to Riley talk to the new student. He turned back to Laurie and said, "Let me introduce you to a few friends of mine. They're staying at Stevenson Hall as well." He turned his attention again to Buffy and Willow and gestured for them to come closer.

The two best friends shared a look with each other, looked at the girl who was watching them cautiously, and came forward with twin bright smiles plastered across their faces.

"Hey, Buffy, Willow." Riley gestured towards Laurie who was holding her little shoulder bag in front of her chest, as if to ward off anyone from causing her any harm, and said, "I want you to meet Laurie. She's staying over at Stevenson Hall like you guys. I was hoping you could show her around a little."

Willow came forward and offered Laurie a reassuring smile. "Sure, no problem. I'm Willow. And this is Buffy," Willow said, introducing herself and Buffy, who waved in greeting at the new student.

"L-Laurie… Laurie Summers."

Both Willow and Buffy shared a wide-eyed look at that declaration and smiled as Riley himself, who had apparently been unaware of that particular information, cocked an eyebrow in surprise.

"You're a Summers as well?" Riley asked - not hiding his surprise. "Wow. Buffy here is a Summers too."

Laurie's eyes also widened in shock at that little revelation as she looked at Buffy and returned the grin she was now receiving from the attractive blonde.

"Which room have you been assigned to?" Buffy asked, coming forward, now finding herself interested in knowing more about this new girl.

"Room 213."

"Hey, that's just next door to ours," Buffy declared happily. Then she paused, as she remembered something. "Wait, I don't think there's anyone living in that room."

"There isn't." Laurie stated with a smile. "I kind of have the room all to myself."

Unfortunately, this particular information only helped to heighten Buffy's apprehension as she realised that the new girl was going to be staying in a new room all by herself. In a town such as Sunnydale, that was under no circumstances a good thing.

"Is everything alright?" Laurie asked, her eyes studying Buffy's face.

Buffy looked up at the young woman staring back at her. She nodded and forced a smile to materialize on her face. "Everything is fine," she stated.

When not only the girl, but Riley himself, shot her a doubtful look, she thought of changing the subject. However, before she could think of something else to talk about, Professor Maggie Walsh walked into the classroom.

Buffy and Willow greeted the Professor with a tight smile but the Professor did not return it. Her eyes were fixed on the new girl with a neutral expression on her face. Laurie on the other hand seemed to shrink further back into herself. Riley just stood to one side, observing. He had a feeling he was going to have a long day ahead of him.

"Have you had a chance to go through the book yet, Ms. Summers?" Professor Walsh asked. When it seemed as though Buffy was about to reply to Professor Walsh's question, the Professor simply turned her head in her direction and stated, "Not you." She turned back to Laurie. "You."

"N-N-No, ma'am," Laurie stuttered out.

"And why is that?"

Laurie gulped audibly before stating, "I haven't had the chance to go to the book store yet, ma'am. I was going to do it after class."

The answer seemed to satisfy Professor Walsh. "Good." She paused for a beat before adding, "Because you are going to need it if you are to pass the test."

"Test?" Laurie asked, cocking her head to one side even as Buffy and Willow quirked an eyebrow at each other. As far as they knew, there were no class tests scheduled for some time to come.

"The test you are going to be sitting for in about a week. To make up for the class tests you've missed." As Maggie Walsh walked past the quartet, she stated, "Make sure that you go through the first five chapters of the book. The test will be based on them." Buffy, Willow and Riley's eyes widened at this declaration.

"F-five chapters?" Laurie asked - disbelief evident on her face, as well as in the tone of her voice.

"Is there a problem?" Professor Walsh asked casually as she turned to face the young woman. Laurie swallowed the lump in her throat. Willow noticed that the girl looked as though she was about to burst out into tears right there. But thankfully, the girl kept her tears in and silently shook her head to Professor Walsh's question.

"Good," Professor Walsh said. "Now please, go take your seat." She turned to the duo of Buffy and Willow and stated, "You as well."

If the older woman noticed the glower that Buffy was shooting in her direction, she did not make any indication of it.

Willow took a hold of Laurie's hand and steered her to where both Buffy and herself were going to sit. "Don't worry about it. I've already gone through the first five chapters. They… are a little hard but, if you want, I can help you study them."

Laurie turned to look at the redhead and smiled in appreciation. "Thanks. I'd like that very much."

But even through the smile, Willow could clearly make out the churning of emotions in the young woman's eyes, just waiting beneath the surface to be unleashed.

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The class finished sometime later without any incident. Buffy and Willow shot a smile towards Riley, who stayed behind to help the Professor with her papers and everything, as they headed out of the class with the new girl Laurie tagging along.

"Alright," Buffy finally said, turning to Laurie, "do you want to go to the bookstore now or after we finish having lunch at the cafeteria?"

"Umm," Laurie started. "Actually, I kind of wanted to go to my room and call my parents. I need to let them know that I'm alright."

"Oh," Buffy said. Then she nodded. "Of course." She then looked at the girl quizzically and asked, "You never told us where you were from."

"Smallville, Kansas," Laurie announced proudly. At the blank expression on Buffy's face, she added helpfully. "Its, uh, about an hour's drive from Metropolis."

Buffy's face lit up at that. "Wow! Superman's city. That is so cool."

"I… don't exactly live in Metropolis. Smallville's just a small town outside of Metropolis."

"Oh… ok," Buffy stated. Even though it was apparent from the look on her face that she had absolutely no idea where Smallville was located, and that she had been unaware of the small town's existence before Laurie had brought it up.

Willow shook her head, but smiled at the look on Buffy's face. Before her friend could say something to offend their new friend, Willow tugged at Buffy's hand and said to Laurie, "Why don't you come down and meet us at the cafeteria then? Do you know where that is?" When Laurie shook her head stating "No", Willow gave her directions and then headed off, dragging Buffy along with her. But not before sending over her shoulder one last time, "See you there, okay? We'll save you a seat."

"Thanks," Laurie said, as she turned and started to walk back to her dorm room.

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The walk back to her dorm was short. She shied away from anyone who looked at her too curiously, some even coming up to tell her about a party they were throwing in their dorm rooms, and how they would want her to come. She politely accepted a few offers while turning down a few at the same time.

She walked into Stevenson Hall and noticed a few of the students, who had never seen her before, giving her a curious once-over before turning back to whatever it was they had been busy with.

She walked up the steps, and turned into the hallway that led to her room. She walked up to the door, fished out her key, and fumbled with it a few times before finally getting the door open.

And as soon as she had stepped into the room and had closed the door, if anyone had been around to witness, they would have alleged that a visible transformation had come over the young woman.

Laurie flung her shoulder bag on top of the single bed she was now occupying. She walked up confidently to the window that gave her an excellent view of the small wooded area at the back of Stevenson Hall. She took off her glasses and placed them gently on top of the bedside table. She decided not to let her hair loose and kept it in the ponytail it was in.

She thought back on the previous night, and the day she had had so far. About the changes that had to be made to the records of the University to show that she had been a student since day one. About the fake name, background and story, Fury had so elaborately fashioned for her so that she would be able to coax the Dean into letting her attend classes this semester and not the next one. About how Maggie Walsh had nearly succeeded in thwarting that idea but had finally relented in the end. About how Riley had sympathised with her and had introduced her to Buffy and Willow, and how both the girls had been more than eager to lend a helping hand to the poor-little-far-from-home-girl.

She raised her forearm and rested it against the glass pane of her window. She leaned forward and rested her forehead on her forearm and stared at the forest area outside. She thought of the Dean, Professor Walsh, Riley, Buffy and Willow.

A feral twinkle, accompanied by an equally feral smirk, that would have made any sane individual run in the opposite direction, appeared on the face of young Laurie, or rather - Laura Kinney Logan - also known as X-23, as she muttered under her breath the one word that was going through her mind over and over again:

"Suckers!"

**TO BE CONTINUED... **

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Before you go any further - Love it? Hate it? Please do let me know.


	5. Her Favourite Pastime

**SIX SHARP CLAWS AND A MISTER POINTY**

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**Disclaimer:** All familiar characters belong to their respective copyright owners and are being used without their permission. I am not in any way affiliated with any of the groups or organizations that hold rights over the characters that appear in this particular story and neither have I been authorized to write the following story. This is a non-profit fan based effort and no copyright infringement is intended. So, umm… please don't sue. The plot and particular storyline however belong to me. And so does the original characters unless otherwise specified. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. Redistribution of this tale for profit is strictly prohibited. Please obtain my permission before archiving this story anywhere else on the net. Thank you very much. Happy Reading!

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**Timeline:**

**BTVS: **Season 4… after Episode 65 "Something Blue". Spoilers from Season 4.

**Marvel/DC: **An alternate world based on both the universes coexisting together from the beginning.

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**CHAPTER 5: HER FAVOURITE PASTIME**

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"I still don't like it."

"It's a good disguise."

"It's stupid. And why do I have to attend classes anyways? I could have taken care of this mission without having to go to any stupid classes."

"Hey now… there's nothing stupid about going to classes. Who knows, you could end up learning a few new things here and there."

"Fury… I have a photographic memory. I don't need to go to classes to learn anything."

"What's wrong with taking classes?"

"Well… for one thing. I have to sit for exams."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh."

"You ever sit for a proper pen and paper exam before?"

"Yeah…"

"And I don't mean back at the mansion. As in sitting with other students and giving an exam."

"Well…"

"See. You're learning something new."

"Grrr… not the point."

"I thought we were supposed to talk about the mission. Not hear you whine and complain about your cover and background."

"Well… it's a stupid cover and background. And I do not whine. I'm just voicing my protests in a non-whiny manner."

Muttering from the other end - "that damn new roommate is even worse influence on you than Pryde ever was."

"Excuse me? I didn't get that."

Sounds of clearing throat. "Never mind. Anyways, objections noted. Will make sure to take them into account the next time I ask you to do something for me."

"Next time around. I get to pick the background and cover. And my disguise is so stupid."

"No it's not kid."

"I'm not a kid anymore."

"Sigh."

A pause followed this particular sigh.

"I still say it's a…"

"It's not a stupid disguise."

"Fury… it's just a pair of spectacles. How good a disguise are they going to be?"

"You wanna go tell the big blue Boy Scout that his disguise is stupid?"

"Umm… well…"

"Well what?"

"Sigh. Fury, my uniform already comes with a mask. It covers my entire face. When I go to work, I doubt anyone will even know I'm around unless I let them know I'm around. So why did I have to use the weakling cover?" A pause. "With my all-black uniform, bones of steel, and this stupid disguise, I'm starting to feel like I'm the love child of Batman and Superman."

A spluttering sound followed by the sounds of someone choking on something could be heard from the other end of the line.

"Whoa. That was one scary mental image right there huh?"

Coughing, choking and wheezing sounds were her only answers.

"How the hell did he manage to fool everyone for so long?"

"He (cough) who?"

"Big Blue."

"I don't know kid. I was one of those fools… remember?"

"Yeah."

Another pause followed.

"Kid…"

"I'm not a kid anymore."

"Goddammit kid. Stop giving me a migraine and tell me what you've found out so far."

Laura Kinney Logan, also known as X23, pulled the modified S.H.I.E.L.D. communicator she used to contact Fury away from her ears, and grinned an all too feral grin.

'Dad was right.' She mused. 'Getting on Fury's nerves is so much better than level thirteen danger room sessions.'

"So far, I've found out nothing." Laura stated after a brief pause. "Just came out of one of Maggie Walsh's classes. Bitch…"

"Language," she heard Fury chide her from the other end.

Laura rolled her eyes once before continuing. "She told me that I needed to sit for a test within one week. Have to study five chapters from one book. She's evil. No teacher asks his or her students to prepare for a test by studying five chapters in one week. Ask Jubilee or Rina… they would both vouch for it."

"Of course." She heard Fury agree with a sigh. "You have any other proof that Professor Walsh is… evil? Other than the expert comments you got from those two monsters?"

"Hey, they are not that bad." Laura stated - a little too defensively.

"Of course they aren't."

"Well, they are not."

Hearing only silence from the other end, Laura - ignoring Fury's question about whether she had proof as to Maggie Walsh was evil or not continued with her report. "Now that I've met Maggie Walsh and her precious TA… who actually seemed like a decent enough guy, my first objective right now is to figure out how many more of her soldier-boys are hanging around on campus grounds. I'll try and see if I can find a discreet way inside their base."

"Alright. Just remember, sneak in, not charge in. While you're inside… you find anything you don't agree with, come out and give me a call. And I'll send the cavalry. Don't go trying to take out the project all by yourself."

"Got it chief."

"Anything else I need to know?"

"Well," Laura paused for a second before adding. "If they are experimenting on demons. There's plenty of specimen running around for them to get their hands on."

"What do you mean?"

"I was heading back from the dean's house after my award winning performance, and got myself surrounded by three vamps looking for a tasty treat."

"They dead?"

"Dust in the wind."

"So… three vampires. Doesn't sound like that big a deal to me."

"Oh, they are not the problem. The problem is me going around looking for the nest… you know, take them out to make sure they don't get to anyone else, and I'm suddenly picking up a lot of scents." She paused for a beat before stating. "Scents of things I've never smelled before."

"Too much to hope its only aliens."

"Answer's no. If it was aliens, the scents would've been the same. Plus, I doubt any aliens would have been able to come to earth without the Justice League space monitoring system picking up on them. I'm picking up too many different scents. And none of them human. Oh. And did I mention? Their scents… they all reek of sulphur and brimstone."

"Sulphur and brimstone?" She heard Fury ask. Then in a resigned tone he said, "Damn."

"Yeah… damn."

She waited for Fury to digest this new information before continuing. "There's a reason why the Initiative set up shop in this quaint little town. Do me a favour and look up some information on this place. There could be a stone cairn like the one we had back at the mansion or some sort of gateway nearby that these guys are coming through. I want to know if anyone knows anything about it and more importantly - I want to know how to close it once and for all."

"Hmm… I ever mention how much I hate magic? Alright, I'll see if I can get a hold of Dr Strange or Dr Fate - if those two are in this dimension and see if they know anything. So consider it done."

"Good." Laura said. Then in a mock cheery voice, she stated. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go meet with a few new friends I've made and pretend to be the helpless and meek little girl who looks like she wouldn't survive crossing the street on her own."

"It's not a stupid disguise and it's not a stupid cover."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going to scope out the rest of the town tonight. If they are capturing demons and taking them back to base, maybe I can catch a few of the Initiative soldiers on the job."

"You do that. Good luck kid."

"I'm not a kid anymore."

Laura heard Fury let out a sigh at the other end.

"I'm getting too old for this." She heard him mutter just before he cut the connection.

Laura Kinney Logan shook her head. Fury may be good at handling practically anything and everything from terrorist attack to full out invasion from other dimensions. But the one thing the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had never been good at, the one thing he would probably never be good at - was handling Logan's girls. Especially when one of them was intent on being as annoying as possible.

Plus, for the crappy background and disguise Fury had assigned her with - she was certain that she owed Fury a lot more than just a little annoyance.

Laura placed the S.H.I.E.L.D. communicator phone back in the pockets of her baggy jeans. She picked the spectacles she had placed on her nightstand, glared at the object for a few seconds, and then, with a resigned sigh she placed it onto her face. She didn't have to look at the watch to know that only five minutes of her time had passed since she had entered her dorm room. Half of which had been spent annoying Fury.

As she was about to head out into the halls again, she closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and when she opened them - no longer was she Laura Kinney Logan and neither was she X23 - one of the most dangerous mutants on the planet. But rather, she was Laurie Summers, a shy small town girl hailing from the middle of nowhere - as some people would most undoubtedly call Smallville.

The transformation and mindset completed, she opened the door to her room, poked her head out into the hall a little unsurely, came out, locked the door and then headed off towards the dining hall. She wondered if it would be too much to hope that they had steak.

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"What is it?"

"I don't know."

"Hmm… But then why'd you take it?"

"It uh, looked interesting."

"Huh? Really?"

"Well, it did."

"I'm sure."

"…"

"Well, are you going to…?"

"I don't know."

"You know... it's alright. If you really don't want to…"

Alexander LaVelle Harris, more fondly known as Xander, quickly clamped his mouth shut when he suddenly found himself at the receiving end of a fierce look originating from one of the two women who were seated opposite to him.

"What do you mean by if I really don't want to?" Buffy growled narrowing her eyes at the young man opposite to her who immediately held up his hands in defence as he tried to explain himself.

"All I'm saying is that you've been staring at it for nearly five minutes now. Maybe…" he trailed off as Buffy looked down at the object in question and shot it a suspicious stare.

"I'm Buffy Anne Summers. The Slayer. Defender of Mankind. Killer of all things evil. I'm not afraid of anything."

"You know I'll back you up on that even if they take us to different rooms and ask us that question."

"I'm not afraid of anything." Buffy stated once again - mostly to herself.

She then picked up her fork, and poked at the green and mushy vegetable-like substance she had herself served onto her plate. When she had seen the item at the counter, she had decided on giving it a try. It was new and she had never eaten it before. College was after all - the time to give new things a chance… wasn't it?

However, as the green mushy-like substance wobbled in protest under her poking fork, making her pull back her fork and cast it another suspicious glance - Buffy decided that perhaps, just perhaps there were a few things she really did not need to try.

"Maybe you should just - I dunno, gobble it down quickly." Xander suggested as he himself gave the green vegetable-like thingy a suspicious look. "Maybe it actually tastes good."

Unfortunately just the thought of putting that particular food item, whatever it originally was, in her mouth was enough to make the veteran slayer want to hurl - if the expression on her face was any indication.

Beside the two, Willow Rosenberg who had been watching her two best friend debate over the food item, rolled her eyes, and reached out for the veggie-type thingy with her own fork. "You guys are so immature." She chided the both of them as she picked up a spoonful from Buffy's plate and brought it too her mouth - with Buffy and Xander watching on in wide-eyed amazement.

As Willow deposited the spoonful into her mouth however, the following things happened in sequence.

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, she made the kind of muffled noise someone would make when about to hurl - but were forcibly keeping their lips locked tight - in hopes of reaching the nearest restroom in order to carry out the rather disgusting deed - which ended up in her cheeks getting inflated like balloons - her face looking like as if it was about to explode, and then, mercifully for Buffy and Xander, both of whom had been smart enough to take cover - Buffy behind her tray and Xander under the table… she dashed out of the Rocket Café faster than even Buffy thought she herself was capable of running with her slayer speed.

"Whoa!" Xander exclaimed poking his head up from under the table. "Look at her go."

"Impressive." Buffy nodded putting her tray down.

Both Buffy and Xander then sat up straight again and turned their attention back to the veggie item on Buffy's plate. Buffy picked up the plate, got up from her seat, and went over to the large trolley where most students deposit their plates after eating. She deposited her own plate and returned to her table but not before casting one last i-am-so-glad-i-didn't-eat-you look at the green substance.

"So," Xander asked as Buffy made it back to her seat. "What else is new Buffster? Except for the new veggie delight."

In reply, Buffy shrugged and was about to say something along the lines of "nothing really." However, she did not get the chance to do so as she found herself letting out a yawn - making Xander lift an inquisitive eyebrow her way.

"You ok?" Xander asked. His tone not hiding his concern. Xander had seen Buffy go through days without much sleep. Watching her getting tired in the middle of the day, while she was not even attending some mind-numbing lecture was to him - something to be concerned about.

"I dunno Xand," Buffy said as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Just been feeling reeally sleepy today for some reason. Could hardly keep myself awake in class."

"Think it's something that will need you to call for the Scoobies to assemble?" Xander then smiled and added with a wink. "First Scooby present and ready for action Captain."

A chuckle escaped Buffy's lips. She did not believe she would ever get used to the fact that Xander Harris cared for her so much. Or for that matter - how much the rest of the Scoobies cared for her. Always ready to defend, protect and in some cases - even put their own lives at mortal risk - all for her when it was she who had the power to defend and protect them and most definitely just as enough willpower to die for them.

"Nah." She politely waved off his concerns. "It's probably because I didn't get much sleep last night. After this, I'm going to go up to my room and take a short nap."

Though a little hesitant at first to let it drop, Xander however conceded - deciding that his good friend will let them know if something indeed was wrong with her.

Buffy's face suddenly lit up in a smile as she waved at someone behind Xander. Curious, Xander looked over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of a pretty young woman with dark hair, around the same age as them, responding to Buffy's greeting with a wave of her own as she took her place at the self-serving queue that had built up at the food counter.

Xander turned back to Buffy and asked the obvious. "Who's that?"

"Laurie." Buffy stated. "She's a new student from," she paused for a beat - obviously trying to remember the name of the place the new girl had come from. "Smallplace? Or was it Littleville?" She asked mostly to herself as she tried to remember the name of the place.

Xander tried and failed to keep a snort from escaping his lips. When Buffy looked up and simply offered him a quizzical look, he offered, "You mean Smallville?"

Buffy's eyes lit up in recognition. "That's it. Smallville. Apparently it's somewhere close to Metropolis."

"I know." Xander nodded. When Buffy asked next how he knew about the place, he just shrugged and said. "Was going to pass through it on my road trip across America." Buffy nodded. "Of course, never really got the chance." Buffy smiled at the young man in sympathy. Not wishing to spend any time on talking about the misadventures he had had when he was on his road trip, Xander asked, "so, how come you're calling her a new student? Isn't it a little too late in the semester to be calling someone a new student?"

Buffy was about to let Xander in on the details regarding Laurie's new student status when she simply stopped talking and scowled at someone or something going on in the direction of the food counter - the same direction where the new student Laurie had been collecting her food.

Xander, curious to find out the reason behind Buffy's sudden change in mood, turned to see what had turned Buffy's mood sour, and found his own frame of mind turning just as bitter - if not more.

There, at the self-serving line where Laurie had just started gathering a few items onto her plate, who else would try to start a conversation with the new girl than the man who had not only bedded his best friend - but had made a mockery of her feelings. Parker Abrams.

"What the hell does he think he's doing?" Buffy growled.

Xander turned back to his good friend in time to see her get up from her seat, ready to walk over to the counter and save the girl from the same fate that had befallen her.

"Buffy, wait." He said quickly as Buffy simply stared back at him with a quizzical expression. Xander explained himself. "I know she's a new friend and everything but I don't think you should go up there and try to do anything." When Buffy just gave him an exasperated yeah-right look, Xander elaborated. "If someone you made friends with suddenly started telling you whom you should talk to and whom you should not, what do you think will happen?"

Buffy thought about it for a second before she let her shoulders slump in defeat. She knew Xander was right. She could not just walk up to Laurie and ask her not to speak to Parker.

"Alright," she conceded grudgingly following a few seconds of indecision. "But he tries anything, and I'm going over there and… and…"

Xander watched as Buffy trailed off - obviously deep in thought about what she was going to do to Parker if he tried anything with the new girl… more importantly - her new friend.

As a slightly maniacal gleam crossed the Slayer's eyes, Xander shuddered and decided that it was a very - very good day not to be Parker Abrams.

As if finally coming out of a daze, Buffy turned her attention to her best friend and started updating him on how Laurie had received her new student status. All the while however, Xander could not help but notice that Buffy's gaze would wander every few seconds in the direction of the self-serving counter - obviously keeping the girl and Parker in her sights at all time.

Now if only Parker remained smart and did not do anything to aggravate his best friend - a friend who was very much capable of sending the poor fellow through a wall, window - the food counter serving that green veggie-type thingy, etc.

He wondered what the chances of that happening were.

Then he started feeling sorry for Parker.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

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Before you go any further - Love it? Hate it? Please do let me know.


	6. Keeping up the Act

**SIX SHARP CLAWS AND A MISTER POINTY**

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**Disclaimer:** All familiar characters belong to their respective copyright owners and are being used without their permission. I am not in any way affiliated with any of the groups or organizations that hold rights over the characters that appear in this particular story and neither have I been authorized to write the following story. This is a non-profit fan based effort and no copyright infringement is intended. So, umm… please don't sue. The plot and particular storyline however belong to me. And so does the original characters unless otherwise specified. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. Redistribution of this tale for profit is strictly prohibited. Please obtain my permission before archiving this story anywhere else on the net. Thank you very much. Happy Reading!

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**Timeline:**

**BTVS:** Season 4… after Episode 65 "Something Blue". Spoilers from Season 4.

**Marvel/DC:** An alternate world based on both the universes coexisting together from the beginning.

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**CHAPTER 6: KEEPING UP THE ACT**

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Laura - or rather, Laurie strode towards the Rocket Café - the university dining hall, when she picked up her scent as she passed the ladies room. Willow. Only the scent seemed kind of off. Like the young woman had abruptly gotten sick - albeit mildly.

The part of her that was Laura Kinney wanted to check on the young woman - but the more dominant part, X23, simply shrugged it off as something that did not concern her. She decided that the two girls - Buffy and Willow were likable to a point since they seemed genuinely nice - something that was hard to come across in her line of work. However, she did not believe that she would loose any sleep if any of the two girls came down with some mild sickness during her short stay here at Sunnydale.

The way she saw it, she would have the mission wrapped up in under a week, and then, she would be gone from this town and Buffy and Willow will in most probability never see or hear from her again and vice versa. It therefore would not do her any good to get close to anybody.

She had two sisters, well, three sisters if she counted Kitty who had always been like a big sister to her, a father who loved her, a family and even greater extended family of heroes from around the world where each and every member would die protecting her… and it was already more than enough people she had to worry about. She did not need to add Buffy and Willow to that list.

She walked into the dining hall and looking around, spotted Buffy almost immediately. As she had already known, Willow was not there with her. But someone else was. A young man whom she had not seen before. As the beautiful blonde waved at her in greeting and she found herself waving back in response, the young man turned - obviously wanting to know whom his companion had been waving at and Laurie got her first real look at the man.

The dark haired young man had an almost boyish look to his face. If it was not for the fact that he was seated in a university cafeteria, she would've thought that the man was not even supposed to be on campus. As the man turned back to Buffy, most probably wanting to know who she was - resulting in the start of a conversation she knew she would be able to listen to if she wanted even from about thirty feet away with crystal clarity - never mind the pitter-patter of voices rising and falling across the entire room, she decided against listening in, picked up a tray and took her spot at the self-serving counter along with a few other students.

Long ago, a friend of her father's - who also happened to be one of her mentors, gifted with senses, well, four of them at least that were far superior to that of hers - trained her on how to basically stand in one spot, close her eyes and still know where everything and everyone was around her without much effort. Because of his teachings, her senses had heightened to the point that they worked for the most part at times in a radar-like capacity.

Therefore, when a young man, slightly older than her, came up behind her and took his stand at the queue - she knew he had every intention of speaking to her even before the man's heartbeat which was fluttering in anticipation of meeting someone new calmed down enough for the man to start talking.

"Hey, you're the new girl I saw at Professor Walsh's class today right?"

Laurie turned to regard the man behind the voice, feigning surprise. Pretending to have never seen him before - which she of course had as she had allowed her gaze to roam through each of the faces in Professor Walsh's class - for future references - she smiled at the man timidly and nodded. "Umm… yes."

The taller young man smiled back at her brightly. "Thought so. Parker Abrams." He held out his hand for Laurie to shake. "Welcome to UC Sunnydale." He added.

She glanced at the offered hand and - balancing her tray with one hand, shook it with her other hand as she introduced herself - something she really did not feel like doing. Especially considering that Parker may have seemed genuinely pleasant, which, she mused would have fooled most people - most people who were never trained in the art of reading body language - but to her, he was in fact an open book.

An open book whose eyes were conveying precisely what his intentions were regarding her.

Plus… she could literally smell his lust for her coming off in waves.

There were only a handful of people on the planet who knew about it, but the way - the eyes through which Parker was looking at her, as though she was an award, a prize - a prize that needed to be won - and then discarded, it made her very uncomfortable. And Laura Kinney Logan despised feeling uncomfortable.

It was only the training and discipline she had been subjected to by her father, Elektra and Daredevil - after she had been rescued from the Weapon X project that prevented her feral side from lashing out at the man in front of her.

She detested being looked on as a prize. An object. A thing. God only knows how much she had to suffer that particular glance the initial eight years of her existence.

"You do know how to use that right?" she heard Parker enquire - bringing her out of her dark musings.

She looked down at the dining card she had been assigned, something she would not even require for more than a week - hopefully, looked up to meet Parker's eyes, and asked in an unsure voice. "It's uh… a dining card. I am supposed to use it to get food from this place right?"

Parker's grin if possible actually became wider at her statement. It was almost as though he held a secret, a particular knowledge that he was singularly privy to. Then, flashing her his most charming smile - what the man apparently thought was his most charming smile which - she mused was in truth really pitiable compared to a certain Cajun charmer she grew up around - a Cajun who could and had in the past swooned Wonder Woman with his smile - started elaborating on how she could save money by getting the most out of a single sitting at the dining hall by making sure to pick up an adequate amount of food that would last her an entire day.

For a very good reason, the word 'cheapskate' popped into her mind as she listened to Parker's technique for saving money. And she also found herself having a hard time believing that someone would fall for his particular act.

Even as she listened to Parker drone on about his detailed plans - shooting the slightly older man a few courteous smiles and nods here and there - she realised what she really sought to do was pick the man up with one hand and toss him into the wall or… anything for that matter - anything to shut him up - anything that would not end up blowing her cover.

Underneath the civil façade of Laurie Summers that she had donned, Laura Kinney Logan scowled while in the deeper recesses of her mind - the part that was feral, dangerous and untamed - the part that was pure X23 - seethed and waited - to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting Parker Abrams.

Since she could not exactly permit herself to do anything of the sort to Parker while still playing the part of Laurie Summers, she resigned herself to the fact that at least she could be just as annoying to Fury the next time he called for an update.

After all - he never mentioned anything about having to deal with hormonal young men as part of her undercover work.

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"Look at that," Buffy groused. Xander just quirked an eyebrow as he really could not tell what was bothering Buffy. Well, he could guess that it had something to do with the new girl from Smallville talking to Parker Abrams - the conniving-bastard-with-the-face-of-an-angel, as she so eloquently put it.

"What is it this time?" Xander asked with a sigh. His best friend had complained - he glanced at his watch - four times in less than one minute. Each time it had been about something Parker had done. From small gestures that could have been nothing at all to smiles - each time his best friend had found something - evil in them.

He really wished Willow were back from the restroom already. The both of them could have double teamed Buffy and calmed her down.

"She's obviously feeling uncomfortable talking to him." Buffy stated as she narrowed her eyes which had never left the duo. "I'll bet what she really wants to do is ask him to shut up but… the poor thing. She's like a slightly taller but shy version of Willow."

She looked on as Laurie started to look more and more uncomfortable by each passing moment. It was clear to her that the girl was literally forcing herself to be polite to Parker - who was still talking to her about - Buffy's scowl deepened - she wondered why Parker kept on looking at Laurie's dining hall card.

And then - it hit her.

A furious scowl marring her forehead, she stood up from her seat ready to walk over there. She could not believe that Parker was using the…

"Umm… Buffy?" Xander asked raising an eyebrow in question and cutting into her thoughts.

"I'm going to walk over there and save her from Parker." Buffy said - determination oozing from her every word.

"Buff, I don't think…" Xander started but trailed off as Buffy pinned him with a glare that would have made The Master run calling for his mother. He absently wondered if the Master even had a mother or not.

"Xand," Buffy said - steel lacing her every tone. "Don't try to stop me." She turned her attention away from Xander - who found himself breathing a sigh of relief as Buffy pinned that same glare on a still oblivious Parker talking to Laurie. In a calm tone, Buffy declared. "I'm the slayer. I fight evil. I protect the innocent." She turned and locked eyes with her best friend again and stated. "I fight evil. Parker is evil. I protect the innocent. Laurie is the innocent here. I'm going to walk over there and do my job." She narrowed her eyes at Xander - who found himself leaning further back in his chair - to a point where a slight nudge would have sent him sprawling to the floor - and stated. "Don't try to get in my way."

Xander gulped. Not trusting his voice, which he was sure would come out less manly than usual, he simply nodded.

And then just as swiftly, Buffy's entire demeanour changed as she smiled radiantly at him and ruffled his hair as she walked past but not before stating. "Actually… I'm just going over there to join in on their conversation. Something tells me its going to be pretty interesting."

Xander looked at her quizzically as she passed him by, sighed, and rested his head on the table. He then just shook his head slowly. These were the times he was relieved he had never actually dated her. And these were moreover times when he really - really regretted the fact that Angel was no longer in Sunnydale. She was always so much nicer with him around.

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Her prayers for someone to interrupt the 'all too interesting' conversation she was having with Parker was answered when in her peripheral sight; she caught sight of Buffy get up from her seat and start walking in her direction. And even from that angle, she could see the unmistakable signs of agitation rolling off the shorter blonde in waves as she stomped up to where Parker and she were waiting in the queue.

She wondered briefly if Parker had previously done something to incur the wrath of the diminutive blonde.

She then wondered whether she needed to be worried for him or not - and dismissed the thought immediately.

Then it occurred to her whether she needed to be worried for herself or not. But then she mused that if she could survive Jean Grey and her temper tantrums while she was in possession of the Phoenix Force, a small-town girl like Buffy, who seemed to be made up of vanilla, spice and everything nice - like three annoying little girls she knew of, she could most definitely survive whatever the blonde could dish out.

"Hey," Buffy said in greeting as she walked up. Laurie acted surprised to see the blonde there and offered her a somewhat relieved smile.

"B-Buffy," she greeted the slightly shorter girl. Buffy smiled back in return and then turned her attention to Parker.

"Hello… Mr Abrams," Buffy greeted the slightly older student with a smile that never quite reached her eyes.

"Hey… Buffy!" Parker greeted her back in return. Laurie noticed the slight tinge of nervousness doubled with panic race across Parker's eyes. She could not help but find his reaction to Buffy's sudden appearance there beside her somewhat… interesting. Forcing a smile onto his face, Parker went on, "I was just showing my new friend here how to…"

"Make good use of the dining hall card?" Buffy asked - garnering a surprised expression from Laurie. Unknown to her, Buffy was remembering the first conversation she had had with Parker in that very queue.

Parker looked surprised for the briefest of seconds and then just as suddenly his face lit up in delight at the fact that Buffy remembered the first time they had spoken to each other. His delighted smile was complimented with a nod as his response to Buffy's question.

Laurie almost felt sorry for Buffy. The girl was having a truly hard time keeping that fake smile she had plastered across her face to remain there. Especially when it seemed as though Parker was acting genuinely pleasant. Sometimes she felt sorry for people who did not know how to read body language. If only Buffy knew how much effort it was taking for Parker to keep up his act.

"Yeah," Parker nodded. He then turned to Laurie. "Say, why don't you join me at my…"

"She's with me." Thankfully for her, Buffy interjected at that point cutting the slightly older student off. After all, the only joining she was interested in doing with Parker Abrams was her adamantium laced fist with his all-too breakable face. When Parker turned his attention to Buffy, a tight smile grazing his lips, Buffy elaborated - an all too brilliant smile playing across her lips. "Willow and I are supposed to show her around. You know, take her to get her books and stuff." Buffy then turned her attention to Laurie who - still acting the part of the shy small-town girl from Kansas nodded - a little too empathically one might add.

Parker seeing her decision, nodded in acquiescence. "That's alright. Maybe I'll see you at one of the parties."

"Maybe." Was Laurie's only response. In her peripheral vision, she caught Buffy's face light up at her response.

Parker, knowing that there was nothing more he could do to persuade the new girl, nodded, and then turned to serve himself some type of green veggie-type substance onto his already overflowing tray.

Laurie noticed a sparkle of barely contained laughter in Buffy's eyes. When she shot the tiny blonde a fairly curious glance, Buffy just presented her with a smirk and whispered, "You'll see."

Laurie nodded and turned to pick up some more food item. After a slight pause, she whispered to Buffy. "Buffy." When Buffy turned to regard her. "Thanks."

"For what?" Buffy asked cocking her head to a side.

"For uh, you know…" Laurie gestured loosely in Parker's direction to make her point as Buffy just smiled and winked at the taller girl.

"Don't mention it. I was just looking out for a friend."

Laurie smiled at the blonde and nodded in appreciation. "Thanks… again."

Buffy just nodded in return.

Laurie paid for the food items she had served onto her plate as Buffy stood by. She couldn't help but find the actions of the blonde - standing there beside her like a guardian angel somewhat - pleasant. Maybe she would keep in touch with her after this whole mission was over.

But then again…

As the two girls were walking up to their table, Willow finally entered the dining hall and joined them.

"Hey Will," Buffy asked. "How ya doing?"

Willow's response to Buffy's enquiry was to let out a disgruntled groan.

"Next time, I try to act mature… please stop me." She grumbled.

"What's wrong?" Laurie asked, puzzlement creasing her forehead.

Willow in response took a quick peek at what Laurie was having for lunch - making Laurie quirk an eyebrow as Willow finally stated. "It was just some veggie-type thingy that I tried from Buffy's plate. God… it was horrible."

Laurie stopped in her tracks as she looked towards Buffy and said, "wait, didn't Parker…"

She did not get to finish her sentence as Buffy just flashed her a devilish smirk and asked, "And your point is?"

Laurie paused to think about it - really think about it. Then she giggled and followed a grinning Buffy and Willow to their table.

They approached the table and Buffy was quick to introduce Xander.

"Laurie," Buffy stated gesturing towards Xander. "I want you to meet our non-college guy friend, Xander."

Laurie waved in greeting at Xander - who noticed immediately how shy the girl was and offered her a reassuring smile and a nod to ease the new girl's nervousness.

Xander - to Laurie, seemed like an okay person - better than Parker anyways. Then she cocked her head to one side and asked. "Wait… non-college guy friend?" staring at Xander, she asked. "Aren't you supposed to be on a non-campus then?"

Both Buffy and Willow burst into giggles at this remark. Laurie blinked at the response that statement had elicited from the two girls as she really did not know what it was that the two girls had found amusing.

Xander, seeing the expressions of uneasiness crossing over Laurie's face at the sudden elation of the two girls seated with her, decided to come to her rescue as he elaborated.

"Don't mind them." He said with a slight chuckle. When Laurie looked up - giving him a slightly quizzical look, he continued. "But that was nearly the exact same thing Buffy asked me when she first saw me here."

Laurie's lips formed an "O" as she smiled shyly at the two young women and then started to dig into her lunch.

"So Laurie," Willow asked after composing herself. "Tell me about home."

"Nothing much to talk about really." Laurie stated with a minor shrug of her right shoulder. "I live on a farm. Lots of cows, and pastures, and open fields… and all that."

"Oh."

"What about family? You have any in town?" Xander enquired.

Laurie just shook her head. But then she paused as a thoughtful look crossed her features. A smile crossed her face as she added, "Well, actually, I wouldn't know." When the other three gave her a puzzled stare, she explained. "Lets just say that I have a really - really large and extended family. They are everywhere… literally. I wouldn't be surprised if there was someone in this town and I didn't know about it."

"Must be nice," Willow mused loudly.

Laurie nodded. "It is." Then she sighed and the Sunnydale trio looked on as a sad expression came over her face. "I miss them."

Willow shot her a kind look as Xander turned away - a somewhat uncomfortable look flashing across his face. And then his eyes were on his best friend Buffy just as she let out another yawn - her second since they arrived back at the table.

"Buffy," Xander called out garnering the diminutive blonde's attention. "Maybe you should go up to your room and get some sleep. You look like you're about to fall off that chair," he suggested.

Buffy looked as though she was about to object but then, to everyone's surprise, Laurie spoke up. "Umm… yeah." When Buffy turned her eyes on Laurie, the girl from Smallville averted her eyes briefly for a second before looking back up and stating with a shrug, "I don't even know you that well but you do look kind of tired." To emphasise her point she added. "Like… really - really tired."

"I'll get some sleep after we've gotten you your textbooks."

"I can help her with that." Willow suggested.

"Will… I can…"

"Oh no missy," Willow cut her best friend off. "You just go along and get your beauty sleep."

"Will." Buffy whined.

"Uh-uh, don't you dare use that tone on me." Willow stated using a strict maternal tone. Willow then proceeded to point a finger towards her face as a determinant look came over it and she asked the beautiful blonde. "See this?"

"Oh no," Buffy groaned. "Not that. Not the resolve face."

Laurie could not stop herself from smiling at the antics of the two women.

"That's right missy!" Willow stated as she got up from her seat, grabbed Buffy and helped the shorter blonde to her feet - only to have her friend slouch back onto her chair again. "Can't," Willow grunted as she tried to haul Buffy up to her feet again, "fight the," another grunt - Buffy still remained seated in her chair, "resolve…" Willow finally turned to Xander and whined. "Xand, a little help here!"

At first, it seemed as though Xander was simply content in letting his two friends work it out. Then Willow turned her 'resolve face' on Xander and he was up from his chair and moving towards Buffy.

"Alright Buffster," Xander said rubbing his hands together. "You wanna get up from that seat yourself and walk over to your room? Or do I have to use the traditional fling-you-over-the-shoulder-and-carry-you-out-of-here routine?"

"I'd like to see you try." Laurie actually quirked an eyebrow at the confidence that was behind the diminutive blonde's tone. Not to mention the fact that Buffy's statement had actually made Xander stop in his tracks and if the expression on his face was any indication, made him have second thoughts. Something she mused was quite hilarious considering how much of a height and weight advantage the young man had over his friend.

As though sensing Laurie's inquisitive look on her, Buffy turned and stated with a wink. "I know kung-fu." She paused for a beat before correcting herself. "Well, Tae Kwon Do actually but… 'I know kung-fu' sounds so much cooler."

"Matrix fan?" Laurie asked, a small smirk playing across her lips.

"You know it sister." Buffy chuckled as Xander took a step forward but stopped as Buffy snapped her attention back in his direction. She sighed as she finally got up from her seat. "Alright, alright already. I'll go take my beauty nap." She turned to Laurie and stated, "There's a party at the Lowell house tonight. You should come."

"I… am not really sure. I might just need to stay back and study for that exam Professor Walsh wants me to take in a week." Of course what she was really going to do was stalk the soldiers from the Initiative as they, well, stalked demons and vampires - but the trio with her did not need to know that.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Willow just waved it off. "I promised to help you with that." She then went on to suggest, "You just arrived here yesterday. Relax for one night. I'll help you through the chapters starting tomorrow after class."

Laurie found herself smiling an indebted smile at the redhead. But, she was in Sunnydale on a mission. She was not - will not allow anything to prevent her from achieving her objectives.

Plus, the sooner she had reached her objectives, the sooner she would be able to head back home.

One night she had been away from the mansion and she already missed Scott ordering everyone around, Jean's insights, Ororo's garden in the attic, Beast's crazy experiments going boom - which she mused did not happen often enough; Bobby's jokes and pranks… which unfortunately for him, even after ten years were still as horrible as ever; Rogue and her showdown with Sarah who was also pinning for Gambit's heart…

"I'll see." Was her only response.

Willow seemed faintly disappointed at her response and although Laurie felt to some extent at fault for making the redhead feel that way, but she really could not loose focus on why she was there in Sunnydale in the first place.

"Too bad." Buffy shrugged. "Riley and his buddies sure know how to throw a party."

This particular announcement however - peaked the dark-haired girl's interest. Something that did not go unnoticed by Buffy.

"I'll, uh, think about it." Laurie stated.

Buffy wondered if Laurie needing to suddenly think about the party had anything to do with the mention of Riley.

"Laurie? Just out of curiosity…" the diminutive blonde asked in a cautious tone, "you don't by any chance… have a thing for Riley right?"

Laurie's eyes widened momentarily at this query after which she immediately shook her head. "N-no… w-why do you ask?"

Buffy tried to smile encouragingly - which was hard considering the fact that the girl seated opposite to her was most likely gunning for the same man she herself was interested in. well, kind of anyways. They had picnic… after all. "I mean, it's alright if you are you know. I just…"

Suddenly realising what was going on as she picked up on Buffy's heightened anxiety level, Laurie simply smiled, shook her head and stated. "Buffy, you don't need to worry about me going after Riley." As Buffy's eyes widened at this declaration, Laurie smiled and shrugged. "Let's just say I have an eye for these things." 'And a nose too,' she mused silently.

"You're not just saying this because…"

Laurie made a crossing symbol on her chest above her heart and said, "Cross my heart and hope to die."

True, Riley had been very kind to her so far - if she had to be completely honest with herself - even offering her his support whilst she had pleaded with the Dean and Professor Walsh to let her attend the rest of the semester. Given another place and time, and another dimension, she might have given him a chance.

But, unfortunately for him and well - every other person on the planet, she had already offered her heart and soul to someone else. And even if the person was unable to reciprocate her feelings at the moment - it did not matter. She could wait. She would wait. She had hope - and she was going to cling to it for however long it took.

But then again, she also had to remind herself that Riley was also a willing participant in a government project which did experimentations on demons for who knew what purpose.

The part of her that was Laura wanted to trust Riley because he had genuinely seemed like a decent person… but the part that was X23 - the part that grew up hating labs and experimentations and scientists such as the one working for the Demon Research Initiative - the one that Riley worked for to the point that she rarely even entered the infirmary back at the mansion, could not - would not trust Riley even if her life depended on it.

Not now anyways. She had seen many people turn away from that life. A part of her wished Riley would end up being one of those people.

Buffy sighed in relief and smiled at the dark haired girl. "Umm… sorry, I just…"

"Don't worry about it." Laurie just waved it off. Then she stated. "He's a great guy. I hope it works out for you both." And she found herself meaning it as well - even if it was only partially.

"Umm… actually," Buffy started again. "We are not exactly dating… yet."

"Yes," Willow chimed in at this point. Then, mimicking Buffy's tone of voice as best as she could, she added. "We are still busy making googly eyes at each other." She sighed dramatically, clasped both her hands in front of her chest. "Ooooh Riley! What big arms you have!"

Xander laughed out loud at this and Laurie found herself grinning at the redhead's antics. Buffy for her part stuck her tongue out at her friend.

After the amusement had subsided, Buffy finally declared. "Alright, I'm off." She looked to Laurie and added. "Try and come to the party… okay?"

Laurie nodded her head. "I'll try," was what she said.

Unknown to Buffy, Willow and Xander - Laurie had, upon discovering that the party was going to be held by Riley and his friends - already decided to attend. And it in fact had a lot to do with Riley - only not in the sense Buffy thought it was.

She had a feeling Riley and his friends - all of whom lived at this Lowell House were part of the Demon Research Initiative. And if her suspicions were accurate and the Lowell House did indeed house the soldiers from the Initiative - there was a very distinct likelihood that they would have an access to the underground base to the Demon Research Initiative from the house.

A part of her wished that she had been provided with the schematics to the Initiative base of operations. But then again, she always did enjoy finding and in some cases, even making her own way inside a secret government base.

She had already been provided with an excuse to - not infiltrate, but rather, walk in through the front gates of what would be considered potential enemy territory and she was not about to give up on that opportunity. And considering how kind Riley had been towards her so far, she would not put it past him to introduce, or at the very least, point out some of the other residents of his fraternity.

It was in a sense, a perfect opportunity for her to find out as much as possible about the soldiers who were involved with the project as well as try and see if she could figure out a way inside. Not that she would make use of the entrance to the base when she found it. It was bound to be frequently used and not to mention loaded with advanced security measures - not that they would be able to detect her… but, she had learned from a few of her mentors that it always paid to know all the entrances and exits to a compound she may need to infiltrate in the future.

Buffy, ignorant to Laurie's musings, smiled at the dark haired girl one last time as she started to head out. "See you around… k?"

Laurie nodded at the blonde as she waved goodbye to Xander who was tagging along with Buffy.

Xander said goodbye much the same way Buffy did as they started heading out of the cafeteria.

"BWAAGGH!"

Everyone in the cafeteria stopped whatever they were doing, whether it be eating, chatting or simply sitting around - including Buffy and Xander who were halfway to the door - and turned in the direction the cry had come from to see Parker scramble out from his chair and dash out of the cafeteria with not one, but both hands clamped over his mouth, his eyes as large as saucers - a look that clearly indicated to anyone and everyone that the young man was trying very hard not to empty his stomach right there in front of everybody.

As he passed Buffy and Xander - Buffy fought the urge to stick her leg out and in turn trip the slightly older student but, managed to somehow refrain herself from doing so… if only barely.

Some offered the young man a sympathetic glance as he dashed by, some offered him concerned glances - the quartet of Buffy, Willow, Xander and Laurie simply smiled broadly at Parker's retreating figure.

Buffy waved one last time at Willow who was staying behind with Laurie before heading out of the Rocket Café with Xander in tow.

"Well," Willow mused loudly. "That definitely made up Buffy's day."

Laurie chuckled. "Yeah, mine as well."

"Oh?"

Laurie nodded and then went on to give details of Parker's lame efforts at trying to make an impression on her which had Willow nearly falling off her seat in amused peals of laughter.

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It was after some time that the two young women finally made it out of the cafeteria and headed towards the university bookstore where Laurie purchased her books. With that out of the way, both Laurie and Willow decided to head back to their respective rooms for the remainder of the day since they really did not have anything else to do.

"Hey," Willow said as both of them neared their rooms. "I'll knock on your door an hour before me and Buffy head out to the party." When Laurie nodded, Willow just continued. "That way, you'll have enough time to get ready if you do decide to go."

Laurie smiled and nodded again. "Thanks."

"No problem." Willow said as she fished out her keys and entered her room just as Laurie herself entered hers.

And once again, as soon as Laurie entered the room, she let the façade that was Laurie Summers fall and unleashed Lara Kinney Logan from the back of her mind.

She walked over to her bed and flopped onto it after placing her books onto her small large desk. She would skim through them later on.

Five chapters, six chapters, each and every chapter in all the books she had purchased - it did not matter to her. She could go through the book an hour before she had to sit for her exam and still be able to ace it. Some had told her that her photographic memory may have been engineered into her by the scientists at the Weapon X project where she had been… created.

But, she would like to believe that her ability to thoroughly recall everything she has ever read, witnessed, felt was not the result of genetic engineering, but rather… a gift - the first of three gifts she had ever received from her birth mother.

She took off her trainers, laid herself down on her bed and closed her eyes - letting her mind come up with a plan she could implement when she finally arrived at the Lowell House.

In the end, she decided that the best and most practical plan was the most simplest of all.

First thing, talk to Riley and in turn get to know his friends - mostly those who were staying at Lowell House - make sure to memorises each of their scents - get lost sometime afterwards looking for the restroom - repeat excuse until she finds what she is looking for, which would be the entrance to the Initiative base.

That particular work completed - make an excuse to head back to her dorm room. Suit up. And then… head out into the night to observe the soldiers from the Demon Research Initiative at work. And hopefully, one of the groups will lead them to a few more entrances and exits around campus.

With any luck, everything would go smoothly… as long as no particular complications showed up.

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Unknown to Laura… in the room next to hers, while Willow Rosenberg sat at her desk reading a particular textbook, a pen dangling from the corners of her mouth - Buffy Anne Summers, also known as the Chosen One, or Slayer - who was fast asleep in her bed, was having a very particular dream.

A dream involving a young girl holding a wooden box - singing, "Can't even shout, can't even cry, the gentlemen are coming by…"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

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Before you go any further - Love it? Hate it? Please do let me know.


	7. A Day in the Life of a Secret Agent

**SIX SHARP CLAWS AND A MISTER POINTY**

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**Disclaimer:** All familiar characters belong to their respective copyright owners and are being used without their permission. I am not in any way affiliated with any of the groups or organizations that hold rights over the characters that appear in this particular story and neither have I been authorized to write the following story. This is a non-profit fan based effort and no copyright infringement is intended. So, umm… please don't sue. The plot and particular storyline however belong to me. And so does the original characters unless otherwise specified. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. Redistribution of this tale for profit is strictly prohibited. Please obtain my permission before archiving this story anywhere else on the net. Thank you very much. Happy Reading!

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**Timeline:**

**BTVS:** Season 4… after Episode 65 "Something Blue". Spoilers from Season 4.

**Marvel/DC:** An alternate world based on both the universes coexisting together from the beginning.

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**CHAPTER 7: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SECRET AGENT**

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"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

As she repeated these words, she tried concentrating on her breathing. On trying to find her centre.

Trying… being the operative word in this case.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

She repeated the words again… trying to find that peace and calm that always seemed to surround a certain member of the Titans. Unfortunately, peace and calm was something that was… at most times out of her reach. And today was definitely no exception.

Sighing, she opened her eyes to take a look at the time. The clock on her desk read five minutes past six.

Bored out of her mind, and feeling a little restless waiting for Buffy and Willow to get ready so the three of them could head out to the Lowell House, Laura had decided on meditating for a while. Not that she ever had much luck in the meditating department. But, both her stepmother and her father suggested it would be good for her in the long run and therefore - here she was, sitting Indian style on the floor in the middle of her room, trying to meditate… without any results. She wondered how the heck Raven did it with just those three words and for entire days at times.

As an honorary member of the Titans, Laura had joined Raven on several of her meditation sessions while staying over at Titans Tower along with other members such as the beautiful alien Princess from Tamaran - Starfire, Russia's favourite son Leonid Kovar - AKA Redstar, Rachel Summers - otherwise known as Marvel Girl, and even Beast Boy at times - or Changeling as he was calling himself these days.

The three words. The incantations. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos.". Every time Raven whispered them - there was a sense of peace, serenity that washed over her very being. And it showed on her face, the way she moved and even in the way she spoke. It was what attracted everyone to the Azarathian. Many over the years have joined the Azarathian on at least one of her meditation sessions while staying over at the Titans Tower. To see if they could achieve the same level of peace and serenity that the half-demon sorceress achieved each and every time she meditated. Or to see if they could achieve even the slightest semblance of it.

So far however, only a few people have been able to achieve the peace that so easily came to Raven Roth of Azarath. And X-23 was no exception.

Her dad had once told her that as a feral, a part of her mind - her very being will always be keyed to notice sudden fluctuations in the environment on an unconscious level. Always on the lookout for rising danger for her own self and for others around her. Not to mention her heightened senses made it somewhat difficult to block out all the noises and smells that permeated the environment. Reason why it was difficult for her to let her guard down… to completely relax at any given moment and why her father always took her and Rina to his cabin in Canada when he felt they both needed some real peace and quiet.

Expelling a breath of frustrated air from her lungs, she finally picked herself up from the floor - stretching her body in a lazy arc as she did so. Dusting her jeans off, she turned to stare at the wall that separated her from the two young women she had made friends with - once again wondering what was taking them so long.

Cocking her head to one side, she let her sense of hearing expand and encompass the room next to hers and heard what sounded like Buffy rummaging around the room… probably still looking through her closet while at the same time talking to what sounded like a man with a British accent.

Not hearing any other voice in the room, Laura deduced that Willow was not present in the room with the two.

Not knowing what they were talking about and really not wanting to pry - but deciding that they were going to be late if they didn't hurry, she walked over to her bedside table, picked up the stupid glasses, put on the jacket she had brought with her along with a few other clothes and headed out of her room.

Stopping outside Buffy's room, Laura took a few deep breaths, becoming Laurie Summers in the process. Then she raised a hand to knock on the door.

After waiting for a few seconds for a response and receiving none, she raised her hand to knock on the door again.

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"The Gentlemen are coming by?"

"Yup," responded the petite blonde without turning to face the speaker as she poked around in her dorm room closet, looking for something to wear. Buffy let her eyes linger over each of the tops she owned before finally deciding that she would wear one of two that appealed her eye, as well as comfort most. Now, all she needed was someone to help her decide which one of the two would look best with her dark blue jeans and everything would be right again with her world.

Someone clearing his throat behind her reminded her however that everything would not actually be right with her world until her Watcher, mentor, friend, closest thing she had to a father figure at that moment (since her own biological father seemed to have severed all ties with her) - Rupert Giles, had told her that everything would indeed be right with her world… right after he had deduced exactly what the message behind her dream had been.

Any other young woman having an eerie dream in the middle of the day would have simply chalked it up to exhaustion, bad food from the cafeteria, and a hundred other reasons.

Being the slayer however, Buffy was not offered the same option.

When she had a dream, especially one in which little girls holding little boxes started singing creepy songs about gentlemen dropping in for visits, it could only mean one of a hundred things… and none of them were ever good.

As soon as she had woken up from the dream and had found her roommate Willow working on a class assignment, she had decided to tell her about it and the redheaded Wicca had decided it best that they consult Giles on the matter immediately.

That had led to one phone call to a somewhat sleepy Giles (who both Buffy and Willow decided had too much free time in his hand and therefore really needed to get a job), trying to explain the dream over the phone to the older Englishman with the latter trying and failing to grasp it (having just woken up from an afternoon nap and not having had his cup of Earl Grey yet), to finally deciding to come over within an hour or so to discuss it face to face.

To top it all off, Giles had arrived at a time when both Buffy and Willow were getting ready to go to a party - much to his displeasure who suggested that they should stay in and concentrate on solving the meaning behind this dream. This of course led to fifteen minutes of protesting from the two young women with Giles finally conceding with Buffy and an enthusiastic Willow promising to go over to his place first thing in the morning and help him with the research.

Right now, Giles was trying to gather as much information as possible from the dreamer so that he could head back home and start working on deciphering the dream immediately.

"That's what the girl said." She nodded in affirmation turning to him. "Or rather… sang." She added with a pause. Cocking her head to one side in a curious manner, she asked, "Any idea what it means?"

A thoughtful expression crossed Giles's face followed by frustration. "The song," he started finally. "I must admit it's vaguely familiar. It's… it's just not coming to me at the moment." He shot the diminutive blonde a somewhat apologetic smile. "Sorry."

Buffy just waved it off. "Not your fault Giles. I'm sure it'll come to you in no time."

"Are you certain there is nothing else about the dream you can remember." He asked for what seemed like the hundredth time. He was just glad that Buffy was being this patient with his inquiries. Especially when he could clearly see that her concentration was divided between him and what to wear to this party she was going to.

A few years earlier, when Buffy had been a young slayer, he was certain she would've thrown a fit at all the questions being thrown her way. But after all that she has been through over the course of about three years - she had matured enough to know that each and every question he asked, and each and every answer she was able to come up with would help her save more lives.

Buffy, appeared to give his question a considerable amount of thought but then responded with a shake of her head. At the same time she held out two tops she had picked out from her closet in front of her - displaying them for her mentor to have a look at, hoping he would help her make up her mind on which one to wear to the party.

Giles stared at the two tops for a second or two - shrugged and pointed at the red one.

Buffy - seemingly satisfied with his choice smiled and threw the other one inside the closet.

Giles - slightly amused just shook his head. Then his voice took on a grave tone as he stated, "I hope you realise that you will have to be extra vigilant on your patrol tonight. Perhaps a visit to some of the demon hotspots to see if they know anything about these gentlemen would prove fruitful." After a pause, he added. "Or, you could just pummel some information out of Spike."

Turning to face him, she asked in a hopeful tone, "I can pummel him just for the sake of pummelling… right?"

"Of course." Replied Giles without the slightest pause.

If the nearly two hundred year old Spike could've seen the giddy smile that crossed Buffy's face at Giles's acquiescence - even daylight wouldn't have stopped him from skipping out of town. That chip he has been trying to get out of his head be damned.

Happy thoughts of pummelling the bleached blonde vampire was interrupted - much to Buffy's annoyance by someone knocking at her dorm room door. Sharing a quick look at her watcher, she walked over to the door and yanked it open to find a startled Laurie with one fist raised in the air, obviously in the process of knocking on the door again.

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"Um… Hi!" was the first words that came out of Laurie's mouth as the door she was about to knock on was yanked open.

"Hey!" came the quick response… followed by a bright and cheery smile.

"I uh," Laurie started once again. She couldn't believe a normal girl like Buffy had actually… startled her. She hadn't even heard the girl come up to the door. Chastising herself internally as well as giving her head a quick shake, she finally said, "I just wanted to come and see if you were ready or not." Shooting a glance at the piece of cloth Buffy was holding in one hand she added, "Um, I'm guessing that's a no."

Following Laurie's train of sight, Buffy stared at the top she had picked for a second or two, as though she had completely forgotten it had been there. Well, it's not as though anyone could blame her. She had been busy daydreaming about pummelling a certain bleached blonde vampire.

Before her mind could take her back to that happy place again, Buffy turned to Laurie and said, "Oh, sorry. Just gimme like fifteen minutes."

Forcing a smile onto her face, Laurie nodded and said, "Sure, no problem. I'll uh…" turning halfway to her room she continued on, "wait in my room."

It was at that moment that it occurred to Buffy that perhaps Laurie did not want to stay in her room. Sitting around in one's room with no one to talk with was just… well, it just sounded wrong to her.

"Laurie," she started making the other girl pause in mid-step and turn to face her. Taking Laurie's hand - who, surprised at the gesture blinked in confusion at the shorter blonde as Buffy manoeuvred the other girl into her room and said, "Why don't you stay in here and wait."

Behind the two, Giles, who had been sitting on Willow's bed watching in curiosity as his charge spoke to this new face, let out a quiet "Hm?" before he could stop himself.

"I'm… I," Laurie stared at the older Englishman in the room who shot her a reassuring smile as she finished, "I really don't want to be a bother."

"Oh no, don't worry about it." Buffy just waved that statement off. As Laurie had walked into the room with Buffy, Giles, being the courteous one got up from his seat and approached the two - but at the same time keeping a respectable distance from the obviously shy Laurie who kept on casting him nervous glances.

"Laurie," Buffy started. "Meet Giles. Giles… meet Laurie. "

Giles shot the young woman a smile in greeting. "Hello." Extending a hand out he added, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yes sir," Laurie responded. "It's uh, nice to meet you as well." Added Laurie taking Giles's hand in hers and giving it a quick shake. "Laurie," she introduced herself. "Laurie Summers."

At this declaration, Giles felt himself quirking an eyebrow as he shot Buffy an enquiring look. "Summers?"

"Nah… not related Giles." Giving her shoulder a shrug Buffy added. "Not that we know off anyways." There was a pause as Giles nodded and Buffy finished. "She's a new friend me and Willow made in class."

"Y-You've made a new friend!" Giles exclaimed. His voice beaming with obvious pride. "Why Buffy that's wonderful."

Buffy scowled at the older Englishman at that statement and stated in an irritable tone, "Heeey, what's that suppose to mean. I've made lots of new friends since I've started college."

Not wanting to argue, Giles simply nodded. "Of-of course you have."

His young charge added with a stubborn nod, "well… I have."

Giles conceded with a final nod.

He knew very well that as The Slayer, Buffy didn't exactly get enough time to get… or rather… take enough time to know new people. She in fact sometimes went out of her way to know as fewer people as possible. Especially since many of them have a habit of being alive today - and dead, or worse… un-dead the next day.

Turning to Laurie, Buffy, changing the subject said, "Giles used to be the librarian back at my high school." Smiling at Giles she added. "Now he's unemployed and spends most of his time watching Passions…"

"I DO NOT." Came the immediate and annoyed response from the Englishman.

So he ended up watching a few episodes of the damn show with Spike while the vampire was hiding at his home. Buffy caught them actually enjoying each others company - even speculating as to what they could expect in the next episode… until they realised what they were doing of course.

Spike had walked into the bathroom where he tied himself up with chains in the bathtub - mumbling and complaining about something being wrong in the blood they were feeding him.

Giles just pretended it never happened.

Leaning forward, Buffy mock whispered to Laurie - obviously wanting the older Englishman to hear what she was saying. "He's a little touchy about that subject." Nodding mock sympathetically she added. "We try to avoid talking about it."

"What happened to your old job?" Laurie asked - curious. At the last second she added, "If you d-don't mind my asking."

A gloomy expression crossing the older Englishman's face, he finally stated, "The school blew up… literally."

A pause followed.

"Huh?" responded Laurie after the pause. In fact, it was the only response she could come up with upon hearing what Giles had just said.

"The school. It, uh, blew up." Buffy clarified stepping in for her mentor.

Laurie's eyes shifted from Giles to Buffy. A sceptical eyebrow cocked.

"You're joking… right?" She finally asked.

Buffy shook her head as a genuinely cheerless expression crossed her face. "Gas leak." Both Giles and Buffy said in unison-

And both their hearts skipped a beat.

A lie? A… lie?

For just the briefest of seconds - Laurie's eyes narrowed. Before Giles or Buffy could catch it however, her face had taken on a neutral expression once again.

Her mind on the other hand - a completely different matter.

Why were they lying? That was the question that led to a volley of other questions to race through her mind.

Were they involved? What really happened? Grrr!

After a second however she tried calming her mind. Jumping to conclusions wouldn't help her in any way. She needed to get to the bottom of this. Looked like just one more thing she'd need to have a look at while she was in town.

"Oh my God!" Eyes as large as saucers and one hand reaching to cover her mouth, she forced herself to exclaim.

True, she had seen and heard worse but this sort of reaction upon hearing such news would be expected of her of course. She mentally thanked Batman for the acting lessons.

"Was anyone…?" she left the question hanging - knowing very well they would understand what she was asking about. She immediately sensed their grief over the incident growing as a mournful look passed over both their faces.

Internally, she sighed. A mournful look - multiplied by the sorrow she could feel radiating from the two. She didn't know why they had lied to her about the "gas leak" but at least she was satisfied with the knowledge that they were genuinely saddened by what had happened.

Perhaps the authorities had told them that it had been a gas leak and even though Buffy and Giles knew it had been something else - they were telling what they had been told to everyone.

Unless of course there had been paranormal reason behind the high school's destruction. Considering what she had seen in Sunnydale so far - it was not something she was willing to rule out. Bearing in mind how most people react to the existence of the paranormal - at most times with denial… perhaps - both Buffy and Giles had seen something of the sort and were simply reacting to it by replacing what they had seen with what they deemed made most logic to them.

Well, whatever the real reason - she'd find out soon enough.

For an entirety of thirty seconds no one spoke.

The awkward silence was finally broken by Laurie who looking abashed stated, "Buffy, I'm really sorry to have brought this up."

Buffy shrugged. "It's cool. You didn't know." Staring at the piece of cloth still in her hand, she added, "I uh, better go get changed."

Laurie and Giles both nodded as Buffy headed out of the room.

"Buffy lost some friends on that day." Giles whispered in a solemn tone after a slight pause.

Laurie nodded. She knew all too well what that was like.

Turning to Laurie, Giles finally said, "So… have a seat," gesturing to Buffy's bed, "and tell me where you are from."

Smiling shyly at the older Englishman, she took her seat and after Giles took his on Willow's bed, she declared proudly, "Smallville."

"Hm." A hand reaching to stroke his chin, he nodded a few times before stating, "Sounds… familiar."

"It's… known as the Meteor Capital of the World."

Immediately - recognition flashed across the older Englishman's face.

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"You three be careful."

Rolling her eyes, Buffy responded. "Giles we're only going to a party. What's the worst…"

"Uh-uh," Willow interrupted her best friend by placing a hand to cover her mouth. "Don't you dare finish that sentence," she warned.

Realising what she had been about to do, Buffy gulped audibly and nodded.

Feeling the gaze of someone other than Giles's on them, both Buffy and Willow - with Willow's hand still clamped over Buffy's mouth turned to notice Laurie standing to one side - staring at the two with a quirked eyebrow. As though they each had grown another head.

"S-Superstitious… we're b-both awfully superstitious." Willow explained rather lamely. Hoping Buffy would verify her claim, she asked, "Right Buffy?"

She waited for her best friend to respond. However, hearing no verification forthcoming, she turned - and found the reason why Buffy had been unable to respond.

The petite blonde was too busy glaring at the redhead who still had her hand clamped around Buffy's mouth.

Grinning sheepishly, she quickly lowered it.

"W-what she said." Buffy confirmed after taking a mouthful of air - jerking her head once in Willow's direction. "We are both... very… superstitious."

To reassure her further, both Buffy and Willow shot Laurie a reassuring smile at the same time. Quite possibly to let her know that they were not crazy - just… superstitious.

Unfortunately their desired effect was ruined with them both smiling at the same time. Made it look more eerie than reassuring.

Plus, they didn't need to reassure the taller girl - she was surprised to sense that they were actually telling the truth and that they actually were - superstitious.

"Cough!"

The staring was finally interrupted by the fourth person - Giles who had been standing on one side and had decided that this was completely pointless.

As all three girls turned their heads to him, he asked, "Shouldn't you three be on your way?"

There was first a "huh?" from Buffy followed by her shaking her head as though to clear her thoughts followed by a nod. "Right!" turning to Laurie and Willow, she said, "come on guys… we'll be late."

"Bye Giles." Willow said as she followed Buffy towards the Lowell House.

"Um, nice to meet you Mr. Giles." Declared Laurie with a nod in Giles's direction as she was yanked along by Buffy.

"Nice to meet you as well," responded Giles after which he watched the three young women saunter off. All thoughts of whatever they were talking about forgotten for the moment - or so it seemed.

"Ah!" He sighed aloud. "To be that young."

Turning, he started walking towards his own destination - namely - home. After all, there was research to be done. And quite possibly some cuddling with Olivia - if she had arrived already.

The pace of his steps quickened.

Though he hadn't exactly had the chance to talk about the dream after Buffy had pulled the new girl Laurie into the room. But, he believed he had just about enough information about the dream to know what to base his research on.

Laurie. Hmm… he thought. Seemed like a nice girl. A little too much on the shy side. But he had to admit there was something that was tickling the back of his mind about the girl. Well, it was more the town she was from - Smallville.

As soon as he had heard the name, he knew that he had read about it somewhere. But he had not read about the place in a magazine or book, but rather - in a number of journals by other watchers.

Frowning, he had tried to remember what it was that he had read. A watcher does not just write about a town unless it had garnered the attention of the Watcher's Council. Exhaling a breath of air in frustration when he couldn't (must be all that untimely sleeping, affecting his memory) he decided that he'll look into it later.

Buffy's dream taking top priority for the moment, he headed home.

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Not a good day to be a secret agent. Thought Laurie as she turned to her right.

The young man named Graham - whom Buffy had introduced upon entering the Lowell House as a good friend of Riley's - sat there like a statue.

Though Laurie had guessed he was Initiative (hairstyle, posture and jaw line screaming military training) - she had hoped that she would not have to sit with anyone of them - even for a conversation. However, as luck would have it - Graham wasn't really big on the whole conversing thing.

The most she had gotten out of him had been the occasional tight smile (as though it was actually taking him a lot of effort to even come up with that) when their eyes had accidentally met.

And to make things worse, to her left was Willow Rosenberg. A slightly tipsy Willow Rosenberg.

Grrr!

Willow leaned against her and sniffled.

Maybe tipsy was an understatement.

Apparently her boyfriend, Oz (she wondered what the heck kind of name was Oz anyways) - had recently embarked on a soul seeking journey (everyone seemed to be doing that these days) leaving the redhead holding on to one of her hands while leaning against her at the same time on the couch they had taken upon arrival absolutely miserable.

"I mean… we were so good together you know…" droned on the redhead receiving the occasional "Uh-huh" from Laurie. "… and then that Veruca witch had to come and ruin everything," she spat.

Laurie didn't know who this Veruca was - but she really wished the girl was around at that moment. Because she didn't care who saw her - she would've given that girl the ass-whopping of a lifetime.

That girl's interference with Willow's love life was interfering with her secret agent life - and therefore her mission. Which she mused should have been well underway by now.

There was loud music. And there were people - lots of people mulling about. There were so many people she could have simply walked into any room and it wouldn't have seemed suspicious at all. She could've disappeared within the crowd - checked out the entire fraternity house and not one person would have given her any second thought on finding her in a corner of the house she was not supposed to be in. Well, that was the plan anyways.

Such a great opportunity. And what was she doing? She turned her head to stare at the top of Willow's head - which was now resting on her shoulder.

"… I mean, I was willing to do everything for him you know." The redhead sniffled again. "Who else would have stayed with him considering what he went through three nights a month." Willow raised her head to stare at Laurie's eyes behind her spectacles and asked earnestly. "Do you know anyone who would have put up with that?"

She had no idea what Willow was talking about - and decided she didn't want to know either. A guy who couldn't be with his girlfriend for three days of every month… Laurie shuddered. The guy was definitely as weird as his namesake.

"Well, do you?" she was brought out of her musings (thank the Gods) as Willow tugged on her arm and asked again.

"Um," she stared at the redhead and knew there was only one answer that would be expected of her. She gulped and then shook her head.

Pleased, Willow rested her head on Laurie's shoulder again and let out a contended sigh. Laurie prepared herself for another round of Willow-in-Misery.

She turned to her other side to witness the sides of their silent companion's lips twitching.

Grrr!

Definitely not a good day to be a secret agent.

And where the hell was Buffy all this time?

She glowered in the direction where Buffy was chatting- or rather - making googly eyes at Riley. Riley of course was making googly eyes back at her in response.

As Jubilee would put it - "a lotta 'googlyin' goin' on if ya ask me X."

Laurie sighed. All this talk of love, lost love and seeing people in love - well, actually - making googly eyes at each other was reminding her of a certain person she has been avoiding for a few months now.

Perhaps, after this mission was over a trip to Gotham could be arranged.

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As she lay on her bed later on that night however, Laura Kinney Logan... surprisingly found herself actually thanking Willow Rosenberg - without whom, she realised she would've been in some very deep water. Especially if she had carried out the simple plan she had concocted to search out the Lowell House.

As she had sat there beside Willow who went on ranting about her break-up with Oz, she had taken the time to study… really study the people around her. And not to mention her surroundings. And upon doing so, she had come to the realisation that her earlier assessment of how it would be extremely easy for her to search the Lowell House without garnering the attention of anyone - especially the soldiers from the Initiative… had been wrong.

Even over the loud sounds of music, laughter, talking and so forth, she barely made out the sounds of mechanical and other electronic devices hidden in the walls of the Lowell House. There were in fact five of them in the living room alone. If it wasn't for the fact that they were sending signals to a receiver somewhere in a frequency that could barely be picked up by dogs... even she wouldn't have known where they were located.

In fact… there had been one in the wall right behind her, and she hadn't even had a clue until much later on. She was willing to bet that even the soldiers who lived there at the Lowell House didn't know the true extent of the surveillance that was being carried out on them.

And as for the people… combing through the crowd she had been able to pick up - within two hours of entering the Lowell House, at least five Initiative soldiers in the vicinity. But she could've sworn there were a few more soldiers mingling about. Only problem was - she hated to admit it to herself, she couldn't tell who. And that made her work a lot more complicated.

At an initial glance, the Initiative soldiers she had been able to identify had seemed like any other college kids just having a fun time. Upon closer inspection however, she realised that if it hadn't been for the extensive training she had received, she would never have been able to catch the subtle glances they shared with each other.

The silent conversations that anyone could've mistaken for a laugh, a wink, a nod, a smile - simply turning and looking in a direction - which was in fact an indication for one of the soldiers to check something out in that particular direction, or, to follow someone who was heading in a direction they did not want anyone going - without any one watching over them.

Bottom line was that they were good… and she… had dangerously underestimated them.

This is why she had abandoned her plan and had settled for Willow's ranting. Until at long last she had been rescued by Buffy who chastised the poor redhead - telling her that she was supposed to be over the whole moping phase.

Laura shook her head.

From the way Willow had talked about this Oz character - to someone like her, whom she had just met - it was obvious that she wanted everyone to know how good she had it… and how miserable his disappearance had made her.

As she turned to her side, her thoughts went back to the Initiative soldiers. She wouldn't exactly call her time at the Lowell House a failure. In fact, though she had been unable to search the premises of the fraternity house for any clues to where the entrance to the Demon Research Initiative lay, she had however utilised that time there to get to know the few faces of the soldiers from the project.

Her time there had made her realise that she would need to be cautious when she finally headed out into the Sunnydale night to watch the Initiative soldiers in their more 'natural environment'. At the moment, she couldn't risk a confrontation - and, they wouldn't want one either. If they knew what was good for them.

Because at the end of the day, if a confrontation did occur between her and the soldiers from the Initiative with them thinking of her as a hostile… they would find out the hard way that they may be good, probably one of the best on the planet, but Laura… X23 - she was the best - well, second best there is at what she did… and what she did wasn't always very nice.

With that thought and a small smirk playing across her lips, she finally drifted off into a dreamless sleep - not having the slightest clue that the next day - was going to go into the record books as one of the weirdest days of her life.

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Because… at around 1 am that very night, inside a clocktower in another part of the town - pale greyish hands reached out to open an ornately designed box - identical to the one the girl in Buffy's dream had been holding.

As the box is opened, the sounds of whispering could be heard - and all across the small town of Sunnydale - something exceptionally peculiar took place.

White wisps of air escaped from between the lips of all of its sleeping inhabitants.

From between the lips of Giles and Olivia sleeping peacefully in each other's arms it rose.

From between the lips of a certain bleached blonde vampire - tied up to a chair in the basement of the Harris residence it rose.

From between the lips of his reluctant guardian sleeping peacefully in his comfortable bed a few feet away… it rose.

It rose from between the lips of Professor Maggie Walsh sleeping at her residence - a book about advance cell-recombination theory lying half open beside her.

The white mist escaped the lips of one Riley Finn - dreaming of a certain hazel green eyed beauty and all the right things he could say to her to sweep her off her feet - contrary to the babbling idiot he became around her in reality.

Even the object of his dream - Buffy, was not spared what was happening to everyone else in Sunnydale as the white mist escaped from between her parted lips.

Across the room from her, Willow Rosenberg suffered the same fate.

And in an adjacent room, sleeping in her bed, Laura Kinney Logan, also known as X-23, furrowed her brows as the mist of air escaped from between her own lips - but then fell into deeper slumber.

The mists of air gathered in the skies above Sunnydale - and floated towards the clocktower - and into the open box still held in pale greyish hands.

As the last of the mist entered the box, same pale greyish hands close the lid of the box - caressing its surface gently with one hand as it was laid on top of a small table with seven empty jars.

Unbeknownst to every single person who lived in Sunnydale - The Gentlemen had already arrived - and with their arrival - a hush had settled across the entire town.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

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Before you go any further - Love it? Hate it? Please do let me know.


	8. Hush

**SIX SHARP CLAWS AND A MISTER POINTY**

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**Disclaimer:** All familiar characters belong to their respective copyright owners and are being used without their permission. I am not in any way affiliated with any of the groups or organizations that hold rights over the characters that appear in this particular story and neither have I been authorized to write the following story. This is a non-profit fan based effort and no copyright infringement is intended. So, umm… please don't sue. The plot and particular storyline however belong to me. And so does the original characters unless otherwise specified. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. Redistribution of this tale for profit is strictly prohibited. Please obtain my permission before archiving this story anywhere else on the net. Thank you very much. Happy Reading!

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**Timeline:**

**BTVS:** Season 4… after Episode 65 "Something Blue". Spoilers from Season 4.

**Marvel/DC:** An alternate world based on both the universes coexisting together from the beginning.

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**Warning:** This particular chapter includes a lot of spoilers from Buffy The Vampire Slayer's season four episode of Hush.

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**CHAPTER 8: HUSH**

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She found herself walking through the empty halls of her university… again.

Everything was quiet - quiet except for that voice - chanting away in the distance.

Cocking her head to a side, she listened to it. There was literally no other sounds to be heard other than that distant chanting. She walked through the halls trying to get to the person chanting in the distance.

She - yes it was a she. And though she couldn't exactly make out what the person was chanting about, one thing she did know was that the girl, whoever it was sounded… sad.

So… so very sad.

Quickening her pace she hurried in the direction of the chanting until finally after turning a few corridors she saw her.

"I know you." She said.

The other girl didn't respond. She just stood there - holding that box in her hand, the same one she had been holding the last time around. The saddest expression she had ever witnessed on anyone's face.

She noticed that the girl had stopped her chanting. Or probably she had paused at the sight of her.

The young girl opened her mouth - she thought the girl was going to speak. She doesn't. Instead she starts her chanting again. The same chants from yesterday. Only… with minor differences.

"Can't even shout. Can't even cry." The little girl's voice choked. She looked on the verge of tears but she didn't cry. She continued her chanting. "The gentlemen are already here."

Heartbreaking eyes that should not belong on someone so young looked straight into hers.

"They'll be looking in windows, knocking on your doors. They need to take seven and they might take yours. Ca-can't call to mom." A single tear escaped from the girl's eyes. "Can't say a word. You're going to die screaming but you won't be heard."

She finished that last part with a solemn shake of her head. By now, she was standing about a foot away from the girl. The girl was about half a foot shorter than her and thus had to crane her head slightly to look at her.

Getting down on one knee she looked the girl in the eye and asked: "who are you?"

The young girl opened her mouth - craned her head back and screamed - only it was a silent scream but for some reason she could still hear it and suddenly there was blood - God - there was so much blood.

And then the girl was gone. And something else was there in her place.

It turned… and looked at her with blank eyes.

And then it reached for her.

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With a start and a gasp, Buffy literally jumped out of bed and into the world of the conscious.

A hand swiftly reached out to cover her mouth. To stifle the scream she knew was about to escape her throat. She succeeded. Her eyes searched the room somewhat wildly.

Willow - still asleep in her bed.

Windows slightly ajar. Door still locked. Everything looked as it should be.

Closing her eyes she tried calming her mind.

The girl. Her face. The silent scream. The blood… so much blood.

And then - that face. That hideous grey white face. The blank eyes. The skin drawn back over bald cranium. The almost hooked nose.

But what she remembered most was the grin. That perpetual... ghastly grin on the creature's face displaying those silvery white teeth.

Buffy didn't realise she was shaking until she caught sight of her hand doing just so as she moved it away from her mouth.

She had seen a lot of death since she became a slayer. But the death of a child was something she wished she would never have to witness again.

Even a slayer had her limits.

Walking over to the fridge she shared with her best friend, she opened it and took out a bottle of water - making sure it was ice cold. Pouring some into a glass she drank it all down. Treasuring each and every sip. The cold water soothing the insides of her throat as it went down.

She needed to call Giles. She turned to look at the clock and winced. Quarter to eight… too early.

Deciding she would call him as soon as she had freshened up, she headed out of the room right after picking up her restroom utensils.

The gentlemen were already in town. Early or not - that was something he needed to know.

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Beep-Beep.

Her nose twitched in apparent annoyance.

Beep-Beep.

A silent growl escaped her lips.

Beep-Beep.

Raising her head slightly and without opening her eyes, she flung her pillow in the direction the annoying and insistent beeping was coming from.

Beep-(flop)-be-(thunk).

Silence.

Blessed and peaceful silence.

Smiling and evidently satisfied with her victory over the alarm clock - she lowered her head to go back to sleep and realised… now she didn't have a pillow.

Damn.

Too-early-too-early-too-early. She never had to get up this early while staying at the Xavier Mansion . Not unless her father was staying over. And even Cyclops knew better than to wake her up this early in the day - Danger Room sequence be damned.

Not while training with Captain America , or Daredevil - not even Nightwing while she was staying over at Titans Tower did she had to get up this early.

Batman - well, he on the other hand was a completely different matter. The only person to have ever come close to scaring the crap out of Daredevil - when Batman wanted her to get up and train, she knew better than to argue.

Plus, she usually got to train with Cassandra. Definite perks. Grr-owl!

Happy thoughts of being thrown all over the training mat in the Bat-Cave by the beautiful Asian were interrupted by her senses finally registering something.

Silence.

Feral green eyes opened. Not even the glazed look a person would have upon waking up was visible in her eyes.

She sat up - and listened.

Silence.

Nothing but silence.

It was early yes but she still should've been able to pick up the voices of at least some of the students at Stevenson Hall.

What she could hear was the sound of the door to Buffy and Willow's room open and close, someone flushing a toilet down the hall, a running basin, a few more doors opening and closing, people coming out into the halls - but not one single person said anything anywhere within the range of her hearing.

The silence - it was wrong. The silence was definitely wrong.

Getting up from her bed - Laura picked up her glasses, put them on and headed out.

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As she walked back to her dorm room, Buffy walked past a girl heading towards the restroom sniffling quietly.

She shot her a concerned look - wondering what could be wrong but the girl seemed to be lost in her own little world to notice. Shaking her head and deciding that it was really none of her concern she kept walking to her room. College angst could wait. She had more important things to take care of.

Calling Giles for example.

Walking into the room she shared with her best friend, she found the redhead already up and making her bed.

Willow , upon hearing Buffy enter the room, turned and greeted her with a "Hey…"

At the same time, Buffy, shooting the redhead a smile, said, "Good Morning."

And then they both took a pause - or rather - stopped in confusion.

They both knew they had greeted one another. Only - no words had left their mouths.

Buffy rubbed her throat and tried clearing it while Willow looked on - still sporting that "huh?" look on her face.

"Good morn… good…" utterly confused Buffy mouthed the words, "Willow, can you hear me?"

Eyes widening - Willow realised to her horror what had happened.

"No," she screamed - though no one would've been able to tell besides herself. "Buffy, I've gone… gone deaf."

Buffy rushed to calm the redhead. "No." she stated as she shook her head. "I don't think so." She mouthed the words as Willow looked on. "We can't speak."

Willow … just to be certain took a deep breath… and screamed at the top of her lungs.

Buffy rolled her eyes and fought the urge to smack the redhead on her arm. Willow , upon seeing that Buffy didn't seem fazed at all by her ear-splitting scream - stopped and meekly mouthed the words: "so… I'm not deaf?"

The shorter blonde just quirked an eyebrow. Willow , seemingly satisfied smiled, nodded and said, "Oh, Ok."

This time Buffy did smack the redhead on the arm - gently.

"Ow!" exclaimed Willow shooting her best friend a confused look and receiving a "what-do-you-mean-by-ok?" look from Buffy. Rubbing her slightly sore hand Willow nodded. "Right. Not ok."

And then a thought occurred to her. A very horrifying thought. She looked up to meet Buffy's eyes and saw that the same thought seemed to have occurred to Buffy as well.

Were they the only ones?

Turning, they both stared at the door leading out of their room.

Buffy was the first to move with Willow following a second behind - almost afraid of what she was going to find.

And what they found as they stepped out of their room was - students stepping out of their rooms and into the hall silently trying over and over again to talk and failing. Some of them were rubbing their throats - clearing it over and over again to no avail.

Some turned at the sounds of Buffy and Willow stepping out into the hall. But, distressed over loosing their voice, they did not heed the two a second glance.

At the sounds of another door opening they all turned again. As did Buffy and Willow .

And saw Laurie walk out of her room.

Buffy and Willow shared a look.

Now how the hell were they going to explain this to her?

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Walking out of her room, Laurie found almost every student who lived on that floor out in the hall.

Some rubbing their throats, some flailing their arms about, but all trying and failing in one thing.

Talking.

Grateful at finding familiar faces staring at her, she waved a greeting at Buffy and Willow and asked: "What's going on?"

And very much like Buffy and Willow - her face took on the familiar look of confusion as she realised that no words - not even a peep had escaped her lips.

Laurie's hand immediately reached for her throat as she tried massaging it and clearing it simultaneously… again… and again.

Next she tried uttering a word - any word. But no matter what she tried she found herself not even making the tiniest of whispers.

Her voice… was… gone.

But that, she told herself… was impossible.

Talking, shouting - heck, even growling - she tried them all but not one single sound escaped her lips.

She could feel them. The words or whatever sound she was making - in the back of her throat. They just wouldn't escape her lips - no matter how hard she kept on trying.

And for the first time in a long while… Laura Kinney Logan found herself on the verge of panicking.

Feeling someone rubbing her back, she turned to find that it was Buffy. And Buffy was trying to tell her something.

"Wha…?" it took a second for her to realise what Buffy was asking her to do. Breathe. The petite blonde even went as far as demonstrating what she wanted her to do by taking deep breaths herself.

Laurie understood. She nodded in thanks. The petite blonde actually had a good idea. She needed to calm down. She was X-freaking-23. Daughter of quite possibly the most dangerous mutant on the planet. Not to mention that she herself had trained under some of the greatest heroes the world has to offer. She simply did not do "panicking".

Following Buffy's example - she closed her eyes and started taking deep breaths.

Knowing that no one could hear her, she chanted the words "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" over and over again. If there was ever a time that she needed that meditating thing to work - this was it.

Surprisingly enough - she found her mind - herself - calming down after chanting those magic words only a few times.

Finally after about fifteen/twenty seconds, she opened her eyes and turned to Buffy - the question "any idea what's going on?" clear in her eyes.

Buffy and Willow shared a look - then turned back to face their new friend. Buffy, sighing, shrugged in response.

Laurie closed her eyes, sighed and nodded. She had not expected the two young women to know anything about what was going on in the first place either.

Opening her eyes, she nodded once at Buffy and Willow - excusing herself in the process. She then turned around… slowly, the very picture of forced calm, opened the door to her room and walked back in.

The door closed slowly behind her.

Buffy and Willow stared at the closed door for the briefest of seconds before turning to each other and sharing an obvious look.

Well, she certainly took that better than expected.

Hearing the sounds of the phone ringing in their room, they both retreated back into their own room.

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Laurie walked back into her room and slowly… very slowly closed the door behind her.

She leaned back against it and closed her eyes.

Taking off her glasses and without opening her eyes, she threw them across the room. It landed on her bed.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

Stay calm - she told herself. She needed to stay calm - so she could figure out what was going on.

…

Feral green eyes snapping open, hands curled into fists - Laura craned her head back and let a guttural roar to escape from the very depths of her soul. A sound that would have made the animals in the forest scurrying for cover, birds to take flight, and predators to know that they were in range of a more dangerous predator they may not survive an encounter with.

But of course, none of that was to happen at that very moment. Not when that particular sound wouldn't - couldn't even escape her lips.

And not to mention the fact that she was not in the wilderness to begin with.

Distressed, she slumped against the door.

She felt… wrong.

Whatever had happened to her was not natural. She could tell that much.

Running a hand through her dark hair - and forcing herself to take deep breaths again, she finally asked herself one question.

What happened?

Walking to her bed she sat down on it to think.

Did she remember anything happening to her while she was sleeping?

She closed her eyes. Hoping it will help her remember.

And then her shoulders slumped even more when she came to another realisation. Even if she knew what had happened to her and when it had happened to her - what was she going to do about it?

Since this obviously wasn't natural - as her healing factor prevents her from even getting a soar throat - this had to be mystical in nature. Considering the number of demons running around this small town - it was only obvious that there will also be witches and warlocks, or other magic users present as well.

Plus, magic was one of the few things that could've done something like this to her.

Now demons… demons she could handle on her own. But mystics or magic users?

Sighing she nodded to herself - knowing what she needed.

Help. She needed to get help. Because magic… magic was way out of her league of expertise.

As she got up to call Fury using the communicator he had provided her with - another realisation suddenly hit her.

How the heck was she supposed to tell him what to do when she couldn't even utter a single word?

Groaning (silently) she slumped onto the bed again.

This was the last time she agreed with Fury when he asked her not to take her cell phone with herself on a mission. At least if she had that she could've simply sms-ed him and let him know what was happening.

All that modified S.H.I.E.L.D. communicator allowed her to do was get in touch with Fury (directly) without her having to go through all the different channels. Useful in most cases - but not at all useful given the predicament she found herself in.

Once again, in the span of just a few minutes, she found herself at an impasse as to how she should proceed.

What would dad do? She asked herself.

Questions. He'd ask questions. Basically start with questioning what he knew to what he did not know. And then go from there.

That was good. She told herself. She could do that.

What did she know - the students at Stevenson Hall had lost their voice.

Question - were they the only ones? If not how many more people were affected?

She needed to head out - walk around campus and find out how many more have been affected.

Maybe… she could figure out a pattern. Who were affected first and who followed.

Well, not much of a plan but she decided that it will do.

Eager to put her detective skills at work, she got up from her bed with a determinant look plastered across her face and started heading out of the room.

She was going to find who did this to her and she was going to make him or her... or them pay. Dearly.

Halfway to her door however, she stopped and looked down at herself.

Perhaps a change in attire was warranted.

For good reason - she couldn't see herself walking around campus in her Scooby Doo pyjamas. And (sniff - ugh) a shower couldn't hurt either.

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A little while later, in another part of Sunnydale - Buffy, Willow and Xander, who had all gathered at the one man's house who they thought would be able to inform them as to what was going on - which he in fact wasn't able to at the time found themselves being drawn to the television where reports of what was going on in Sunnydale was being broadcasted.

"Big news item from Sunnydale California . Apparently, the entire town has been quarantined due to an epidemic of - as strange at this may sound - Laryngitis."

The reporter took a slight pause at this moment for affect and for the audience to swallow what she had just said - allowing the members of the Scooby crew who have gathered at Giles's place to share a knowing glance with each other.

A glance that clearly indicated that they only wished that laryngitis was all they had to worry about.

In a nearby couch sat Giles's on and off girlfriend Olivia, sipping on a glass of hard liquor as she stared impassively at the television.

On the television the reporter continued on: "It seems the town has been rendered unable to speak. There's no word yet what might have caused this or what other effects might be seen from this epidemic. Local authorities have issued a statement - a written statement - I should say, blaming recent flu vaccinations. A few sceptics call it a city wide hoax. In the meanwhile Sunnydale has effectively shut down. All schools and businesses will be closed for the time being and residents are advised to stay home and rest up. Centres for disease control have ordered the entire town quarantined. No one can go in or out until the syndrome is identified or the symptoms disappear. We'll bring you more on that as it develops"

Xander shook his head in disgust as the report ended. "That's it?" he asked in way of silent gesture.

Buffy, picked up the whiteboard and marker she had acquired for ten dollars from a street vendor trying to capitalize on the current crisis and proceeded to write on it: "Keep researching." Receiving nods from a few of her friends, she added, "I should be in town tonight."

Giles cocked his head. His silent question being "Why?"

In response, Buffy simply gave him a look… and Giles… understood.

Not one single person will be able to scream for help tonight. Even if it meant it would save their life. They simply wouldn't be able to. Not with their voice missing.

She needed to be out there. The people of Sunnydale needed their protector in town tonight.

Buffy spared him a grim smile as he sighed and nodded. The older Englishman stared at his charge for a few seconds. He didn't have to say it. She understood.

"I'll be careful." Was what she said without even needing to voice it. And it was more than enough for her Watcher. It - he decided, would simply have to be enough.

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At around the same time, back at Stevenson Hall, Laura - now dressed in faded jeans and a full sleeve sweatshirt stood at one corner with her arms folded in front of her chest in the student common room and watched this same news being broadcasted on television. It seemed that the entire student body that resided at Stevenson Hall was currently present in that particular room. Their attention fixated on what the newswoman on television was saying.

"Big news item from Sunnydale California . Apparently, the entire town has been quarantined due to an epidemic of - as strange at this may sound - Laryngitis."

Though her outward demeanour remained emotionless as the newscaster said this - her mind was anything but.

The entire town? She thought to herself. The entire freaking town? That… that's - she sighed - just great.

"It seems the town has been rendered unable to speak." The newswoman continued on after the slightest of pauses. "There's no word yet what might have caused this or what other effects might be seen from this epidemic. Local authorities have issued a statement - a written statement - I should say, blaming recent flu vaccinations. A few sceptics call it a city wide hoax. In the meanwhile Sunnydale has effectively shut down. All schools and businesses will be closed for the time being and residents are advised to stay home and rest up. Centres for disease control have ordered the entire town quarantined. No one…"

Not wanting to hear the rest of the news, she headed out of the room.

As she walked back to her own room, she thought back to what she had heard the newscaster say.

Laryngitis? She felt a growl building up at the back of her throat. She only wished that was the case.

Suddenly feeling something start to vibrate in the left pocket of her jeans - she hurried to her room, entered it, closed the door behind her and took out the modified S.H.I.E.L.D. communicator.

She stared at the communicator for a few seconds - not knowing what to do.

It was Fury who was trying to reach her - that she was certain off. What she was uncertain off was exactly how she would explain to him what had happened.

Sighing, she clicked on the button that will let her talk to him and put the device to her ear.

"Laryngitis?" Was the first thing she heard his gruff voice say. "Tell me they're joking."

"Well, hello to you too Fury." She mouthed the silent words - not like she could actually say anything.

"X?" he asked. "You there?"

Taking the communicator away from her ear, she looked around for the briefest of seconds before banging the device somewhat loudly on her dorm room door.

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Outside in the hall, a student passing by her room jumped at the sound of the loud banging.

The young man stared wide eyed at the door for a few seconds - one hand clutching at his chest.

Thundering heart finally under control - he shot the door to Laura's room an irritated glare before walking away annoyed.

And no one would've blamed him for being annoyed.

Devoid of the racket of noise usually filled in by human speech - any noise, no matter how small or loud could at that particular time have been comparable to a gunshot going off.

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"The hell?" Came the immediate and irritated response from the other end of the line. And considering the slightly distant voice, Laura could guess that Fury had pulled his communicator away from his ear.

Well, he did ask whether I was here or not. It would've been impolite of me not to respond.

"What the hell was that for?" She heard him ask in his usual growl.

In response, she glared at the communicator. Almost wishing Fury could feel her glower.

"Kid… you there?"

"Not a kid anymore." She retorted immediately. And then she scowled and slammed the communicator against the door a few times. Just like she had done moments earlier. This whole not being able to talk was starting to become rather taxing.

Plus… she really - really hated being called a kid.

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Out in the hall (again), a door to one of the rooms opened and another student poked her head out. She inquisitively searched both ends of the hall - a frown marring her face as she tried to deduce where the loud banging had come from.

Ultimately failing to pinpoint the origin of the noise, she shook her head, scowled in both directions before heading back into her room.

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Fury was silent for more than a minute. In fact, if it wasn't for Laura being able to hear him breathing at the other end of the line, she would've thought that he had cut the connection.

She was about to slam her communicator against the door again just to get his attention but before she could do so, Fury spoke up.

"Knock the communicator once for yes and twice for no. And don't do it too loudly either. You break the damn thing… you pay for fixing it."

Laura swallowed and stared at the communicator to make sure she had not damaged it in her frustration.

Pay for fixing it? She didn't believe her allowance for the next ten years would be able to cover that kind of expense.

She was brought out of her thoughts as Fury asked. "This laryngitis thing that's affected that entire town… I'm guessing you got infected as well?"

Laura looked up to the heavens and let out relieved "thank you" before knocking the communicator once gently against the door.

She then walked over to her bed and then sat down on it waiting for Fury to response.

Which he did after a pause - with a curse.

"Damn!"

Yeah, damn. She mused.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess here and say whatever happened ain't natural."

In response, she knocked the communicator once on top of the table again.

Silence followed. Fury was thinking. Which she mused was a good thing.

He would figure something out - she told herself. Because right now, she was completely and utterly lost as to how to proceed.

It seemed that every plan she concocted came apart even before she employed the first stages of that said plan. That… she mused - seemed to have become something of a common theme with her ever since she arrived in this godforsaken town. It's as though she has to come up with a plan and then ten different contingencies in case it did not work the way she wanted it to work.

Batman in her opinion - with a hundred different contingencies for each and every plan he came up with would feel right at home here.

And Fury would as well. He didn't run the largest and greatest spy organisation on the planet without being one of the greatest strategists ever.

She was not a strategist - she would be the first to admit that particular fact.

True, she was able to absorb and retain a hell lot of information - as much as Batman and Captain America with their ability to total recall - but unlike them however, she was unable to employ all that retained knowledge to any particular situation.

Her plans were mostly simple with her improvising along the way. This was because she was in the end more a creature of instinct - a trait she was proud to share with her father.

"Alright, listen up soldier." Fury finally started in an all too familiar no-nonsense tone she had come to admire in times of crisis. "Personally, I for one don't have the slightest clue as to who… or what could've caused this. But the one thing I can tell you are certain scenarios this thing could be used for."

He took a moment's pause at this point before continuing on.

"Yesterday… you told me there were demons running amuck in that town." His tone actually became grimmer as he added. "Think how much carnage a demon could cause with every single person in that town left incapable of screaming and calling out for help."

Laura blinked. Then swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in the back of her throat.

Leave it to Fury to come up with a worst case scenario.

And what a worse case scenario it was.

She heard him let out a sigh before he added. "Listen kid, as much as I'd like to send someone over to help ya out with this, but honestly… I got no one I'd trust to watch your back at the moment."

She would've grumbled if she could've.

"What I can do right now is get you some info on who or what could've caused this." He stated matter-of-factly. "According to Wong, Strange is in another dimension putting the smack down on some demon lord. And Fate." He sighed. "Did ya know that there isn't even a door on that tower of his?"

Actually… she did know that. In fact, she had heard someone state that Dr Strange himself had once commented on how frustrating it could be to reach the legendary Lord of Order when he didn't want any visitors.

"I'll try and see if I can get in touch with some of the other magic users. Zatanna's supposed to be in New York with that Constantine fellow."

She wanted to ask him about another magic user. A particular one who lived in Gotham . But she dared not.

Almost as though Fury could read her mind, he stated, "No. I'm not going to Jason. Not until I've exhausted every last option available."

Even over the communicator, she could hear the slight tremble in his voice. There were not many things that could put the fear of God in General Nicholas Joseph Fury.

Jason Blood - bonded nearly fifteen hundred years ago by a curse to the extremely powerful and volatile demon Etrigan - the one who nearly destroyed Belasco, Lord of the hellish dimension of Limbo in his own dimension - the one who laughed in the face of Trigon the Terrible and threatened to feast on the demon lord's heart when he had arrived on Earth after using a reluctant Raven Roth as a portal.

An event after which most members of the X-Men stopped bragging about how bad the events of Inferno had been…

Yes, there were not many things in this world that could put the fear of God in Nick Fury, but Jason Blood - more precisely the demon he was bonded to - Etrigan, son of the biblical Belial - was definitely one of those things.

"X," He started again. "Go and rest up. Because, tonight… you ain't getting any sleep." She heard him take a deep breath before continuing. "I want you out in town tonight. As soon as it gets dark. And not in your civvies either."

Laura nodded. Understanding what he meant by that particular comment despite the fact that Fury could not actually see her do so.

"The only difference between a lot of people dying tonight… and fewer people dying… is going to be you."

Laura's shoulders slumped as she closed her eyes.

A lot of people dying tonight… and fewer people dying - Fury's words rang through her mind. He was already expecting victims.

It would be so easy for him to simply make a call to Titans West to come and back her up. Or even the West Coast Avengers. But he wouldn't. Too many costumes running around in Sunnydale would jeopardise her mission here. He would allow a few people to die even if it meant that her cover and mission in Sunnydale would not be compromised.

The greater good and all that crap.

Laura wouldn't want to trade places with Fury if a higher power demanded it of her. She didn't know if she would be able to cope with the guilt.

"And don't worry about having to look out for the entire town. The soldiers from The Initiative will be out full force as well." He stated already guessing what the Demon Research Initiative's response to this particular incident will be. "I may never like them and what they do or stand for but I know their main priority right now would be to keep everyone calm and safe. The presence of the military will only make the situation worse - so expect most of them to be out there enforcing order in their civvies."

After taking another deep breath he continued. "Stay out of sight. You see something trying to kill someone… anyone for that matter…" A pause later, he added, "I don't think I need to tell you what to do about it."

Laura closed her eyes and nodded.

She didn't like resorting to using her built-in 'weapons'. Not unless it was absolutely necessary. And even then she rarely, if ever used them on humans. Something that was drilled into her by her mentors.

Not wanting Laura to follow in his footsteps, her father had made certain that she had better role models growing up. Captain America , Daredevil, Batman, Superman, Jean Grey, Kitty… heck even Cyclops and Green Lantern John Stewart - both of whom he respected and yet, at the same time found completely insufferable.

All of them and more as her mentor… just to make sure they did not turn out like him. Laura loved her father to death - but she would forever be grateful to him for having the foresight to make these particular decisions he made regarding his children that long ago.

"I'll get back to you as soon as I can." Fury said, bringing her out of her musings. She then heard him take a long pause. As if he was trying to gather his thoughts before continuing. Finally, she heard him let out a sigh as he finished with a, "stay safe kid. Anything happens to you and your old man's gonna stop sharing his Cubans with me."

Laura couldn't stop herself from laughing out this time around. Not that Fury could hear her of course.

"Fury, over and out."

And with that - the connection, and thereby the one sided conversation ended.

Fury. Thank God he was nearly immortal. She would miss his brand of humour if anything ever happened to him.

Lowering the communicator from her ear, she placed it back into the left front pocket of her jeans.

Small smile still playing across her lips, she looked around her room… wondering what she was supposed to do for the rest of the day. Considering how her last few sessions had gone, she didn't exactly feel like meditating either.

Her shoulders then slumped and the smile disappeared from her face as she realised that she really didn't have anything to do for the rest of the day. Damn Rina for calling dibs on the Playstation this week.

It was amazing that she could best her sister in physical combat on a daily basis… with one arm tied behind her back - and yet, the little brat was able to pull off defeat after defeat on her in Mortal freaking Kombat.

She was not a sore loser… contrary to what anyone else may say about her. But, she would've appreciated some extra time practicing the moves on that damn game.

Sighing at the fact that there was nothing she could do about improving her gaming skills at that moment, she got up from her bed and decided to head down to the cafeteria. But not before sparing a glance at one of the bags she had brought along with herself at one corner of her room. The one with the secret compartment containing her 'work' clothes.

Tonight… she thought as she turned to leave the room - geeky glasses and meek personality in place. Tonight… X-23 was going to go on the prowl.

Whatever had caused the people of this small town to loose their voice better hope she doesn't catch up with him/her/them/it.

She may have been trained not to use her built-in weapons on humans to cause them any injuries that could be regarded as fatal. However, what she could do to most humans without the assistance of her armaments was far worse than her father simply dicing them up and leaving them dead or dying.

And as for demons. Well… there was that whole other set of rules for dealing with them.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

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Before you go any further - Love it? Hate it? Please do let me know.


	9. Hush Interrupted

**SIX SHARP CLAWS AND A MISTER POINTY**

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**Disclaimer:** All familiar characters belong to their respective copyright owners and are being used without their permission. I am not in any way affiliated with any of the groups or organizations that hold rights over the characters that appear in this particular story and neither have I been authorized to write the following story. This is a non-profit fan based effort and no copyright infringement is intended. So, umm… please don't sue. The plot and particular storyline however belong to me. And so does the original characters unless otherwise specified. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. Redistribution of this tale for profit is strictly prohibited. Please obtain my permission before archiving this story anywhere else on the net. Thank you very much. Happy Reading!

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**Timeline:**

**BTVS:** Season 4… after Episode 65 "Something Blue". Spoilers from Season 4.

**Marvel/DC:** An alternate world based on both the universes coexisting together from the beginning.

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**Warning:** This particular chapter includes spoilers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer's season four episode of Hush.

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**CHAPTER 9: HUSH… INTERRUPTED**

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Present

Pain.

It was the first thing she felt as she found herself swimming towards consciousness.

How long had she been out?

A few seconds? A minute?

The only thing she was sure of was that - THAT - had hurt like hell.

Her mind then raced through the difficult events of the last two days.

Events that had led her to this point - lying on the forest floor - back of her head and throat throbbing mad.

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36 hours earlier...

It had been just a few hours since she had discovered that she - along with nearly every living denizen of the small town of Sunnydale had been rendered speechless - in the absolute and literal sense of the word.

Not wishing to remain indoors and waste the rest of the day away - waiting for nightfall so that she could finally get to work - Laura had decided upon taking a walk through the town and have a look first hand at how the people of the small town of Sunnydale were coping with the loss of their voice.

Now, however, as she watched the many scenarios playing out in front of her, she realised that she should have just stayed back at the dorm and guessed.

Because, the people of the small town of Sunnydale were dealing with the loss of their voice the same way they would deal with it had they been from anywhere else in the world.

With some serious amount of looting.

A man at the opposite side of the road just broke into an electronics store and dashed off with a small television. The third one she had seen since she had stepped out of campus grounds.

With violence.

Another man crossing the street just bumped into someone else and both were now silently shouting at each other. Their inability to voice their comments did nothing in fact to stem the hostility in their eyes.

And of course, last but not least, the people of Sunnydale were coping with the loss of their voice with something that was so palpable - that the very air she was breathing in was drowning in it.

Despair.

Absolute and utter despair.

A man, far older than she, simply sitting by the side of the road holding on to a briefcase looking for all intent and purpose… lost - was a testament to that particular sentiment.

She sighed.

The violence and the looting she could understand. But the despair… the despair was just about starting to get to her.

Her powers may not have been empathic (thank the higher powers for that), but the way her heightened senses kept her attuned to everything around her - including the people that surrounded her at any given time - that, at that very moment, she may as well have been an alpha level empath.

If it hadn't been for the fact that she had been in the middle of scenarios such as this many times before in her life - despite her youthful age, she would've undoubtedly united with the denizens of this town in their despair.

Walking past the two men who were still arguing with each other silently, she walked forward - wanting to help stop it before it escalated, yet at the same time not being able to.

Considering the fact that she was masquerading as Laurie Summers from Smallville and not as Laura Kinney Logan, or X-23 as she was mostly known, she couldn't just risk blowing up her cover by doing something that would be considered out of character for Laurie.

And then her eyes narrowed as something down the street caught her attention.

A young girl, homeless from the looks of it, who had been walking around with a dazed look plastered across her face - something she had in common at that very moment with quite a few people in Sunnydale, given their current predicament - had just bumped into a slightly older and podgy man in a business suit.

From the movement of the girl's lips and the gesture she had made, Laura was convinced that the girl had just mumbled an apology to the larger man.

The man on the other hand, scowled at the place on his body (his elbow) where the young girl had bumped into him, as though the girl had somehow contaminated him with a disease or something of the sort, stepped forward (even as Laura had started jogging towards the duo) and pushed the unsuspecting young woman, who had her back to the man making her loose her balance and fall onto the street.

The girl, startled for obvious reasons turned from her position on the road - looking every bit like a frightened rabbit as the slightly overweight man shouted soundless curses at her fallen form.

And suddenly - Laura was there, placing herself between the girl and the man. A man, who, known or unknown to himself - had started advancing on the girl with ill intent clear in his demeanour.

Laura raised both her hands in front of herself and shook her head at the man to stop him from doing something that was clearly wrong, choosing to end this diplomatically for once. The man in return simply scowled at her, letting her know that this was none of her concern.

Behind her, Laura heard the girl pick herself up and scurry off in the opposite direction. She didn't blame her for not sticking around. Or for not remaining behind to thank her for her intervention. Her dad had once told her that what they did was at most times a thankless job - and she had learned to live with that over the years.

The man, who had been blaming the girl for every thing that had gone wrong for him that day - however unfounded they may have seemed, now turned his anger onto the next possible candidate.

Behind her specs, Laura's eyes narrowed slightly.

Sometimes, she really hated her ability to read people's body language. Because, if she was reading the man's body language right… he was about to try something very - very stupid.

But then, to her utter relief, someone else decided to intervene on her behalf.

Forrest Gates, Agent of Demon Research Initiative winked at her as he walked up to her side - turned and shot an almost daring smile at the man - as though asking the man to just try something.

The man, not knowing and therefore not realising that he was in fact facing a trained combatant (something only a select few people in Sunnydale knew about), glowered at the young man nearly half his age.

For a few seconds, it seemed as though the man was actually prepared to confront Forrest - dismissing Laura as anyone physically powerful enough to be of any contest to him.

Laura decided not to frown at the man for dismissing her as any real threat - when, she obviously was a greater threat to him than Forrest. Instead, she decided, once again to blame the manner in which every person saw her in Sunnydale on the one person who had appointed her the disguise of Laurie Summers in the first place.

Colonel Nicholas Joseph Fury.

It really was - she mused - so much easier that way.

As the man took a step towards Forrest, his hands balled into fists, she thought that… she understood the man's need - his desire to blame someone for what had happened to him that day. There were a lot of other people in Sunnydale that day who - in one way or another could relate to how the man was feeling.

However, she had a feeling that not all of them were acting as irrationally as the man in front of her.

Even as she came to that conclusion, another figure wordlessly walked up to the trio, and took his place at Laura's side. Making the man stop in mid step.

Laura turned her head slightly as a slow smile spread across her face. A smile that had been directed at Graham Miller - who, without turning to her, kept that an impassive stare of his directed at the man - who, now faced with two young men in their prime, for once - was seriously beginning to question his options.

It was Forrest who - then helped the man make his final decision.

The young African American soldier stepped forward and spread his arms open wide. Literally giving the man an invitation to take a shot at him.

Scowling at the soldier, the man finally let out a huff of air in dissatisfaction and deciding that it really wouldn't be in his best interest… or health if he continued with his antagonistic attitude, and was about to turn and walk away when Laura, on impulse, decided to give him something as a final farewell.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

The man glowered at her one last time before turning and finally walking away muttering silent curses under his breath.

Once he was some distance away, Graham turned to Laura and mouthed the words. "You ok?"

Laura smiled at the genuine concern being directed her way and in response, shrugged. Letting him know that she was doing as best as could be expected of her - considering current circumstances.

Graham nodded, understanding clear in his eyes.

Laura, turning to Forrest, thanked him for his intervention with a few gestures.

The African American soldier simply smiled and waved it off as a "don't think about it."

Turning back to Graham, she noticed him contemplating on something.

It seemed as though he was about to say something to her when the sounds of a crash somewhere down the road - something that made all three of them flinch somewhat, interrupted him.

Graham shook his head in frustration and scowled in the direction the noise had come from.

Forrest, after waving a quick "see ya around" to Laurie, started jogging in the direction of the disturbance.

Graham on the other hand, turned back to Laura, and mouthed the words. "Go home."

In response to his request however, Laura found herself scowling back at him.

Before she could get a silent word in or protest in any other manner, Graham raised both his arms up in defence and gestured for her to look around… to really have a look around.

"Not safe." He mouthed the words as he shook his head for emphasis.

With that, he shot her a tired and apologetic smile, and took off after his friend as Laura looked on with a frown on her face.

She was not going to go home simply because someone asked her to… because someone thought she was incapable of taking care of herself.

It had been no more than two days that she had arrived in Sunnydale and she was already becoming quite agitated at everyone for treating her like she was made out of glass - and not the unbreakable one either.

Oh no, she definitely was not going to go home.

To emphasise exactly how determined she was in following through with that decision; she raised her left foot slightly - and brought it down once. It should be noted that this was also accompanied by a nod of her head.

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Present

As a hand reached out to caress her throat, which - she noticed had already healed but was only slightly sore; she reminded herself that she should really stop making promises to herself, as she had never been that good at keeping them in the first place.

Because, even after she decided that she was not going to go home - she had actually found herself heading towards her dorm room within the next hour.

However, she had also emphatically reminded herself that she had gone back to her dorm room not because Graham had asked her to. But because, walking around the town's centre - seeing everything that had been going on, compiled with her inability to help anyone or any situation without exposing herself completely had become harder and harder with each passing moment.

So she had headed back to her room and had stayed there the reminder of the day.

Until of course…

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27 hours earlier...

Laura watched through her window - and from the darkness of her room as night fell across Sunnydale.

She was not only watching, she was also breathing - in an out, in and out, in a rhythmic manner.

Some could've easily mistaken it for meditating. Well, those who didn't know her that well. And they would have been correct… but only partially.

She however, was not meditating. Rather, she was psyching herself out for her night out in Sunnydale.

Preparing her mind and body - to hunt… and to kill.

As the last rays of the sun at long last disappeared over the horizon, bathing her room in shadows, Laura finally turned and walked over to one of her suitcases.

Anyone else would've had a hard time seeing in the dark but fortunately for her - she wasn't just anyone else.

Kneeling down, she opened one of her suitcase and fished out her "work clothes" - as she called them - one piece at a time.

Then, after shedding whatever she was wearing… she started putting on her uniform.

First - she started with the bodysuit. Midnight black - it consisted of mainly two garments. A full sleeve top and brief - both of them tight fitted.

Designed by the Dark Knight himself and fashioned from Unstable Molecules created by Reed Richards - the bodysuit was designed to provide her with maximum protection (chainmail protecting her shoulders and upper back, armoured breastplates, heavy-duty protection around her abdominal regions, elbows, knees, groin and lower back) while at the same time allowing her with the greatest of flexibility.

The colour of the bodysuit also made it easier for her to blend into the shadows. Making her appear more like a living shadow while wearing it than an actual individual.

Secondly - she pulled on her gloves. While also being midnight black in colour (much like the rest of her uniform), the gloves also provided her with some added protection - especially throughout the length of her forearm. Not to mention, both the gloves had two small openings, or rather - slits - one right between her index finger and middle finger and another between her ring finger and little finger - to permit the release of her claws.

Thirdly - there were the made-for-her especially knee-high combat boots. The boots themselves provide her with protection starting predominantly from a few inches below her knee down to just a few centimetres above her ankles. Like her gloves, readily available were slits at the front of both of her boots to permit the release of the singular claw that was housed in each of her feet.

In fact, a lot of importance was given even to the soles of her boot. While on the surface it seemed to be consisting of mostly rubber - the rubber itself was however - of a very unique kind. It allowed her to run at great speeds without making the tiniest of whispers while at the same time providing traction for her on slippery and smooth surfaces.

But that was just the first few layers. Beneath this special brand of rubber however - were strategically placed pieces of steel made from Carbonadium - one of the strongest metals known to mankind. Coupled with the fact that she had enhanced strength and an Adamantium skeleton - a kick from her legs while wearing those particular boots were adequate enough to take most individuals who challenge her into a combat situation out like a light.

Fourthly, but not least - there came the mask.

Same shade of black as the rest of her costume, the top half portion of her mask was a precise replica of that of her father's. However, that - was where the similarities ended.

While the bottom half of her father's yellow and blue mask consisted of an opening starting immediately from beneath his nose to his cheek and jaw line… her mask on the other hand covered her entire face.

A particular feature she had to confess - she imitated from Cassandra Cain's Batgirl mask.

She had always felt that Cassandra's mask - had a particularly menacing ring to it. This is why she had added that little feature onto her own mask. Batman, of course had made sure that this particular addition to her mask did nothing to dampen the use of her heightened senses in any way. He had explained it to her once - how it worked and everything but… she had, only barely kept herself conscious during the entire session - he could be that boring when speaking technology.

World's greatest detective he may be but Captain America he was not.

Finally, Laura tied around her waist the smallest, yet one of the most integral parts of her costume. Her Utility Belt.

It was an exact replica of the one Batman always wore. However, while his was yellow in colour, hers was of course the same shade of black as the rest of her costume. And while his buckle consisted of his famous Bat insignia - hers consisted of an X.

At the very beginning, when she had first started going on missions with her father, or any of his friends from members of the Avengers to the X-Men - she had never made use of a utility belt. She had had her claws. They had been more than sufficient.

However, as time went by and she found herself falling into situations where her claws proved to be anything but useless - she found herself seeking something to overcome those particular shortcomings.

She had first addressed her father regarding this dilemma - who unfortunately was unable to help as he had the habit of using his claws almost on an hourly basis. What he did do was refer her to Daredevil - hoping his good friend from Hell's Kitchen would be able to help.

Daredevil however, upon learning about her problem had referred her to Captain America since all he ever carried with himself were his Billy clubs.

The good Captain - upon hearing about her quandary had introduced her to the idea of carrying a utility belt to carry particular objects that could prove to be useful in the situations she had described. Then he had referred her to Batman - who, he had confessed - carried the coolest toys of them all.

And thus, what had initially started out with Laura asking her former mentor, Batman for a utility belt - ultimately - had ended with him creating and designing a brand new and improved uniform for her.

Except for covering the opening in her mask very recently, she had not required even the tiniest of changes to her uniform.

Well… she had asked for a cape. Batman in response to her request had said, "Don't push it."

She hadn't.

With that final thought, Laura Kinney Logan pushed her window open - just enough for her lithe form to pass through it, employed her heightened senses to be confident that there was no one around to see her at that window, and then…

Then she leaped through it - landing on her feet some fifteen feet below without making the tiniest of noises.

She paused for just the briefest of seconds. Deciding as to which direction to go into. Decision made, X23, the most dangerous girl in the world - headed off towards the cemeteries.

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Present

When she tried to sit up, she found herself starting to cough. Easing herself up on one elbow, she rubbed at her throat with her free hand.

Maybe it wasn't as healed as she had wanted it to be.

Still coughing, she thought back to one of the more peculiar of encounters she had had while on patrol the previous night.

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21 hours earlier…

It was just past midnight and she had already sought out and killed vampires by the dozens.

She had even come across the occasional demon here and there. Most of who had met their demise at the razor-sharp ends of her claws.

She had been on the hunt in one of the larger graveyards of the small city of Sunnydale when - while walking past a crypt she had come across the scent of a group of humans coming from within the burial place…

And the scent of something else that she couldn't quite put her finger on - also coming from within the same burial place.

Coming to the one and only reasonable conclusion that - a few humans were trapped inside the old mausoleum with a particular type of demon that was doing who knows what terrible things to them - she had charged inside to rescue the trapped individuals.

Looking back on it, she would have had to admit that it had been one classic entrance on her part as well.

Her - tearing through the wooden door of the mausoleum like it was made of paper, rolling once and coming up into a crouch, claws extended, menacing growl (albeit a silent one) ready to escape her throat, all prepared to take out the demon by any means necessary…

Only…

To come across a sight that - for years to come was sure to make her want to question as to whether she had actually seen what she had seen or not.

The humans. They had been there alright. Four of them in total. Two young men, a young girl and an old lady somewhere in her sixties.

And the demon. Yup - it had been there as well. All red eyes, floppy ears and baggy skin.

Now, when she had charged in, she had expected the demon to be doing - well… something demonic.

She had expected the humans to be in one corner cowering in fear… or tied up.

She had expected to see someone bleeding at the very least. Not that she wasn't happy to see the "trapped" humans not harmed in the slightest.

But the last thing she had expected to witness upon smashing through the door to the crib had been to find four humans and a demon sitting inside the tomb…

And playing poker.

Five pair of eyes had stared back at her sporting initially surprised expressions on their faces.

And - she could've sworn the demon had said something along the lines of: "My - my DOOR! What did she do to my door?"

He had actually seemed… hurt.

The two young men and the young woman had just seemed… well - less fearful of her than the demon. Something she had found a little insulting to say the least.

The old lady on the other hand. Well, the way she had picked herself up from her seat, started waving her cane around at her while at the same time shouting silent curses at her - curses, sailors would've shied away from using - menacingly scowling at her from behind thick spectacles that had made her eyes appear nearly as large as the goggles themselves…

In other words - the old lady had seemed PISSED. And in a major way as well.

By the time the old lady had taken one minor step towards her with her cane raised high above her head - Laura had already made her way out of the crypt and had placed a considerable amount of distance between herself and the very peculiar gathering.

This particular incident - she decided - was most definitely NOT going into her report to Fury.

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Present

As her coughing finally subsided, she thought that it was of course easier - for her to reflect on that particular event, than to think about the incident that had literally turned her whole stay at Sunnydale sour.

It was easier - than thinking about… her failure.

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13 Hours earlier...

Beep. Beep.

…

Beep. Beep.

Weary eyes blinked open. One at a time.

Beep. Beep.

"Wha-?"

A head, resting on a pillow, shot up as feral green eyes took in immediate surroundings.

Bed. Dorm room. Sunnydale.

Laura then sighed in relief as she remembered where she was. But then, almost instantly - a frown crossed her features.

She had slept peacefully that night.

A… little too peacefully perhaps?

She remembered feeling tired. She remembered feeling exhausted. Right around 1 AM in the morning and wanting nothing but to crawl into bed and sleep until the next millennium.

She had been patrolling for hours. She had killed more than a handful of demons. Vampires by the dozens. Not to mention that she had barely escaped the wrath of an old lady with a stick. She had decided that she deserved the rest.

And thus, she had headed back to her room, stripped out of her uniform, crawled into bed, pulled the bedspread over her head and had promptly fallen into a deep sleep.

And THAT was where her problem rested.

She was a light sleeper. She always had been. Well, at least she never slept so deeply that upon waking up she wouldn't remember where…

Beep. Beep.

Eyes narrowing, she scanned her room for the source of the noise.

Source of the beeping noise deduced by the next two beeps, she picked herself up from her bed, walked over to one of her suitcases and fished out the communicator she used to contact Fury.

Turning it on - while at the same time wondering why Fury was calling her this early in the morning - she placed it against her ear.

"X." She heard the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. address her right away. His voice - she noticed sounded grave.

"If you are still in your room, get out."

Her eyes narrowed as she heard this. Her guard coming up almost immediately afterwards. Before she could consider as to whether her arrangement in Sunnydale had been compromised or not, Fury stated. "A kid was found dead on your floor… just around the corner from you."

Her mouth involuntarily fell open upon hearing this.

"He was stabbed and his heart was removed. Investigate." Another pause followed. Finally, the old war hero declared "Fury out," and ended the call.

Laura stared open-mouthed at the communicator for a few seconds - her mind still processing what Fury had just said.

Then, she turned in the direction of the door to her room.

With mouth as dry as the Sahara and a slightly dazed expression on her face - she walked towards it.

Almost as soon as she turned the knob of her door and pulled it open - her keen sense of smell was assaulted by the smell of fresh human blood.

Walking out, she turned to her right - and noticed at the far end a few students… staring - some grimly and some with sadness sketched across their faces - in the direction where the murder had taken place.

Almost automatically, she found herself moving in that direction.

Walking past the students, she turned into the adjoining corridor and moved towards Room 118. It was the student who lived in that room who had been murdered.

…

Under her watch.

She had taken only a few steps towards the room when an elderly looking man stepped in front of her - stopping her in her tracks. Still slightly dazed, she looked up to notice that it had been a Police Officer.

The Officer looked at her kindly and shook his head. Letting her know that she couldn't go any further as other officers behind him started cordoning off the area.

She didn't protest. Simply swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat - and nodded.

As much as a part of her wanted to take a look at the crime scene with her own two eyes… another part of her however didn't want to.

Because… a person had died. And, the sight of his corpse would only drive home the fact that - while she had been sleeping serenely, a few doors down and around the corner, he had been taking his last breaths.

Did he struggle against his assailants? Did he call out for help only to receive none in return?

These and a thousand other thoughts raced through the living weapon's psyche as she stood there in the middle of the hallway.

And then - but with a shake of her head… she banished them all.

They would not help matters. And they definitely would not help her or the student who had died.

The detective training she received from the world's greatest detective started to come into play.

First, came the acting.

The Officer who had been standing in front of her - blocking her way had been staring at her curiously. Concern edged into his features. She started pretending like as though she was starting to hyperventilate.

The Officer's eyes widened for the briefest of seconds before he quickly took her aside - gestured for her to lean back against the wall, took out a bag from somewhere and once again gestured for her to breathe into it.

She did. After breathing into the bag the required amount of times (so as not to seem suspicious), she nodded at the Officer and removed the bag from her mouth.

Just to be sure, the Officer gave her another concerned look. She gave him a sad smile in return…

While at the same time still taking in deep breaths… and, in the process - categorising and analysing the many scents that were lingering in that hallway.

First of course, came the scent of blood - it was only so hard to ignore. If she had to take a gander - she would say that the young student had died around 1 to 2 AM in the morning.

Secondly, she picked up on the scents of the many humans who had been in that area. All humans - she noticed.

Thirdly, came the miscellaneous scents. From different clothing to perfumes, food items, and a few others that almost made her nose scrounge up in disgust.

And then finally, she smelled it.

Lingering traces of… something in the air.

Something that definitely had no business being in the student dorms.

Nodding one final time at the Officer for his care and kindness - she started back to her room, while in reality she was actually trying to follow the scent.

Even though there was only faint traces of it, she hoped that that will be enough to lead her to his killer.

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Present

Shaking her head once again to clear away the few remaining cobwebs, she realised finally why - even after she had utilised the full extent of her hyper-keen senses in tracking down the creature that had attacked and killed her flatmate, she had been unable to do so.

At first, when she had followed the scent out of Stevenson Hall (after stepping inside her room for a brief moment to pull on some clothes), she had thought that even though there had been only faint traces of whatever had been in the dorms, she would be able to trace it to its source by following the little trail it had left behind.

Of course, within an hour she found out that in her line of work, whatever seem simple enough initially - hardly ever turn out that way.

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5 Minutes Earlier...

Dejection.

It was the only word to describe what she was feeling - had been feeling the entire day.

Ever since she had discovered that one of her flatmates had been brutally murdered that very morning while she had been sleeping just a few doors down - she had been feeling miserable.

Even though she hadn't exactly known him, she had felt as though she had failed him in… some way or another.

And she hated failing anyone.

Because when heroes failed… someone always paid the price.

So morose was she in her thoughts - as she walked through the small forest near Sunnydale campus that - she didn't notice the two figures, dressed impeccably in full gentlemen attire come up behind her.

Or the questioning look one offered the other - in response to which the other shook his head.

However, before the two creatures could turn away, Laura, who had been standing at the edge of a small hill, decided to walk back to campus. Deciding to continue her patrol on those grounds…

And so, as she turned… for a second she almost didn't see what were right in front of her as her eyes had been resting on the forest floor.

But then - the second was over as she took a step forward and let out an involuntary gasp as well as a step back - when she realised she was no longer alone.

First thing she noticed were feet - floating a feet off the ground. Next, her eyes travelled up and she took in the attire.

And finally, she took in the face.

The grey white complexion. The almost hooked nose. Skin drawn back over bald cranium. And that hideous grin plastered across the faces of these… creatures.

They looked so much like him. If it hadn't been for the bald head instead of green hair, and the grey white skin tone instead of chalk white complexion, she could've easily confused any of the two creatures in front of her for someone who took pleasure in tormenting her long time mentor from Gotham.

Before she could ponder on that point too much however… she finally caught a whiff of their scent. Both of them identical. And both similar…

Although she had only caught faint traces of it back at Stevenson Hall and around town, she was at that moment beyond a shadow of a doubt - certain that these two had been the ones to attack and kill her flatmate.

As the two looked on curiously, she instinctively crouched, let out a silent snarl, and -

THUMP!

Blindsided from her left. Thrown off balance.

The fact that she had been standing at the edge of a hill did not help matters as well - as she found herself trying to grab for something - anything, to help her regain her footing and finding none.

And thus, she felt herself falling through the air and down the hill.

Twisting her body in mid air, she tried to right herself just enough so that she could see where she was going to -

"ACK!"

If she had been able to gasp, she would have.

Because, the last thing she had expected was for her throat to be ensnared by a hanging three vine as she fell through the trees at the side of the hill.

Arms flailing about, she felt her entire body jerk once - violently, before the vine took mercy upon her and let her go… only to drop her in such a fashion - that when she did land on the forest floor, the back of her head smashed painfully against a jutted piece of rock.

Her dad had once told her that both of them could shrug off the sting of a thousand bullets drilled into them - just as long as they were prepared for it. Unprepared however, a solitary punch to any vital areas on their anatomy would be enough to take them down.

She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she had - without realising it, let down her guard.

She had been… unprepared.

Even as her vision swam and she felt her mind slipping into oblivion, she mused that - her father, as always had given her a very vital piece of advice pertaining to the amount of punishment she could endure.

If only she had remembered it - just a few seconds earlier.

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Present

Healed up and finally prepared, she turned her head up to stare at the top of the hill.

Of course, the figures she had expected to see were no longer there.

Now, she knew why she had been unable to track the scent left by the demonic... Jokers that had killed the student back at her dorm.

There had been three of them. And all of them shared the same identical scent.

No wonder while trying to track the faint scent left by these "Joker Demons" - she had been confused.

Initially, when she had tried tracking the creature, she had found its scent overlapping many areas around town and on campus. Her first thought had been that - the creature that had killed the student at her Hall had crisscrossed over the same locations, so as to put anyone who would try to track it off its trail.

And begrudgingly she had had to admit that it had worked.

Many times she had gone over the same areas until by the end of the day she had had not one single clue as to where the creature had come from - or where it had disappeared to.

The fact that there had actually been more than one creature, or demon involved - had not even occurred to her.

With a burst of speed, she tore through the trees and reached the top of the hill in less than a few seconds.

Taking in a whiff of air, she noticed that the scent left by the three this time was fresher - more prominent now.

Before she had even processed that particular thought, she had already started following the scent trail left by the three Joker Demons.

Fury had tried contacting her more than a few times over the course of the day.

He, out of a lot of people must have known what she had felt like. To be there, just a few doors away from someone who needed help and not being able to provide it.

She was certain that he would've had some great piece of advice for her… words of wisdom - something along the lines of how she shouldn't blame herself for what had happened to the student at her dorm. For not being able to prevent his death.

That no matter how much power they all possessed, how much they all tried, there were always going to be those they would be unable to save.

She of course hadn't answered any of his calls for just that reason. Because she didn't want to be told that she wouldn't be able to save everyone. At least not those who had been placed under her watch.

She didn't need his advice. What she had needed was to punish the creature that had killed the student down the hall and around the corridor from her.

And as her powerful legs carried her through the forest in the direction of the student campus - the direction in which the three Joker Demons had gone towards, she felt a sense of satisfaction at the knowledge that she was - in a few minutes, about to deliver just that.

Not to one, not to two, but rather, to three creatures who had taken part in a gruesome and atrocious act.

As a certain friend of her father's with a flaming skull and the coolest bike she would never get to ride on her own always said, "The blood of the innocent has been spilled. Their soul cries for vengeance. And VENGEANCE… THEY. SHALL. RECEIVE."

Tonight… she was no longer just Laura Kinney Logan. Neither was she X23.

Tonight, she was judge, jury and executioner.

Tonight, she was vengeance.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

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Before you go any further - Love it? Hate it? Please do let me know.


	10. SNIKT!

**SIX SHARP CLAWS AND A MISTER POINTY**

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**Disclaimer:** All familiar characters belong to their respective copyright owners and are being used without their permission. I am not in any way affiliated with any of the groups or organizations that hold rights over the characters that appear in this particular story and neither have I been authorized to write the following story. This is a non-profit fan based effort and no copyright infringement is intended. So, umm… please don't sue. The plot and particular storyline however belong to me. And so does the original characters unless otherwise specified. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. Redistribution of this tale for profit is strictly prohibited. Please obtain my permission before archiving this story anywhere else on the net. Thank you very much. Happy Reading!

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**Timeline:**

**BTVS:** Season 4… after Episode 65 "Something Blue". Spoilers from Season 4.

**Marvel/DC:** An alternate world based on both the universes coexisting together from the beginning.

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**Warning:** This particular chapter includes spoilers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer's season four episode of Hush.

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**CHAPTER 10: SNIKT!!**

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At an initial glance, most people - who did not know her that well, were likely to dismiss her as simply: another typical student attending UC Sunnydale.

At nineteen, average height and stature, Tara Maclay - some would say went out of her way on a daily basis, to make certain that she appeared as indistinguishable as possible from the thousands of students who attended UC Sunnydale.

For the most part, she succeeded in doing so.

And as she hurried back to her dorm room at nearly 2 AM in the morning, she mused that not having many friends… any friends for that matter helped her somewhat in that regard.

And why exactly did she go so much out of her way to be this unnoticeable?

It was because - she may appear to be just another student attending UC Sunnydale... on the surface that is - but, she was in an individual who has led a far more remarkable life than anyone would ever suspect.

Born as the daughter of a very powerful Wicca, Tara had spent the first few years of her life learning about spells, incantations, mystic symbols… monsters, people and places under the ever watchful and caring gaze of her mother. By the time she was an average eight years old; she had learned, done and seen things most people will never believe existed outside of fairytales and Sci-Fi Channel.

However, it was this same nurture that was at that particular moment making the young woman want to be anywhere (hopefully her dorm room) but out here in the open.

Veteran practitioners of certain types of arts and crafts - whether it is business, politics, stock trading, martial arts, racing, car-jacking - they will all state that: when one has spent a considerable amount of time perfecting a certain type of work, hobby, etcetera... they will state that over time, they develop a certain type of instinct - an almost precognitive sensation that sometimes - just sometimes allows a person to know that something was up, something was different, something had changed - and that the person needed to act almost immediately.

How to act? Well, that would depend on the type of feeling - type of vibes the person was feeling from all around him.

A wealthy and influential businessman could have spent months trying to work out the details of what he considers would be a profitable venture for him or the firm he represents. He spends hours upon hours looking at the project from each and every possible angle - making sure that he had missed nothing. And then, the day finally arrives when all he had to do was arrive at a meeting, sign some papers, and thus - have his dream realised.

At the final meeting however, as he had been about to sign the papers that would finalise everything he had worked towards… he suddenly stops, and takes a pause. As though sensing something that was - off, somehow. He asks for a few more days to consider the contract. The people representing the company he was dealing with finds it odd, protests, but finally accepts his request. After doing some research, the businessman finds out that the company he had been about to conduct business with had had a history of not keeping their end of the bargain and actually getting away with it.

A veteran stock trader looking at a list of new stocks that have been released onto the stock market all of a sudden finds his attention drawn to one particular stockholding. Although he had yet to conduct any form of extensive research on the public company, he just had this… gut feeling that he must try and acquire as many of the stocks of that particular corporation as he possibly could.

Not even two years down the line - as the majority shareholder of that particular venture, the fruits of listening to his gut feeling pay off as he finds himself living the life only the country's social elite could afford.

If one was to search around, he, or she was sure to find many others - all veterans in their field, who would regale them a story of the one time they trusted wholeheartedly in their gut instincts… and how that one time it paid off for them.

Tara, as powerful as she was, did not consider herself a veteran in any field. Not even Wicca. She was still learning… still perfecting her art.

But, she had learned enough to know that when her senses attuned to the supernatural told her that she better get the hell home and get home fast, she responded to it in the only way she knew possible.

By picking up her pace and walking back to her dorm room at a rate only a hair's breadth short of jogging.

Upon waking up the previous day, she had instantly sensed that something had been… off with her. The realisation that she had been divorced from her voice that came to her upon stepping out of her room and seeing everyone trying to talk and fail, had actually been slightly more terrifying for her than it had been for most of the other denizens of her dorm room.

Being all too aware of Sunnydale's reputation for… attracting supernatural entities of all kinds, Tara, upon arrival had placed some especially potent wards on the room she had been assigned. Wards that were specially designed and positioned to keep out the majority of the supernatural entities that made Sunnydale their stalking ground.

The fact that someone or something had actually been able to simply saunter past her defences and kidnapped her voice from her…

Powerful she may have been but - she had never once pretended to be brave.

Considering all the reading she had done over the years on supernatural entities, she had some inkling as to what, or, who could have caused this particular phenomenon in Sunnydale.

Problem was… she didn't know whom she could go to with her suspicions.

She had heard that the legendary Slayer of demons resided in Sunnydale. Therefore, her first choice had been to go to her of course.

Problem?

She had absolutely no idea as to who the slayer was and… at that particular moment; she had the feeling that if she did not get back to her dorm room soon enough… she would never get to find out either.

Thinking she heard the tiniest of rattles from somewhere behind her, she whipped her head around to take a quick look over her shoulders.

Nothing.

She frowned at herself. Damn nerves - making her all jumpy.

But then again, she couldn't really be blamed for being this worried. She was after all walking around in the open, literally exposed, and at a particular time when most demonic entities came out of their hiding places to go on the prowl for food. And more times than not, their main source of nourishment ended up being human beings.

Stumbling over some shrubbery she hadn't noticed earlier, she just about caught herself from falling over. The same however could not be said for the books she had been carrying as in trying to right herself, she lost her grip on them and they tumbled onto the grassed lawn in front of her.

Shaking her head at her clumsiness, she bent down to pick them up - only to hear the same rattling sound from somewhere behind her once again.

Ignoring it, she gathered up all her books into her arms, stood up, and was about to resume her walk back to her dormitory when… what sounded like scuffling from somewhere behind her, accompanied by that same rattling noise from before caught her ears. Making her halt in mid-stride and turn around (somewhat hesitantly) to see what the source of the noises had been.

And as she turned, for a moment, just for a moment - time stood still for her in the figurative sense of the word, and she took in what was heading towards her.

Two demonic entities (with the pinkish bandages covering their heads, straightjackets, and overall demonic characteristics, it didn't really take her that long to arrive to that particular conclusion) hobbling towards her followed in the background by two more entities (also demonic) floating about a feet off the ground while still moving in her direction, sporting grey white skin, bald heads, blank pupil less eyes, identical maniacal grins plastered across both their faces and dressed in gentlemanlike attire…

And then, that time-standing-still moment?

It ended.

And as the next moment came about, Tara Maclay, being the sensible person that she was, took in a deep breath, turned, and bolted in the opposite direction.

Not before dropping the books in the exact spot she had a moment ago retrieved them from however.

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As the two Gentlemen watched Tara dash away from them with two of their underlings giving pursuit, one of them turned to the other and seemed to let out a silent sigh. Stating without uttering a single phrase, 'why do they always run?'

His companion merely shrugged grandiosely in response. He simply didn't understand either. It was not like they have ever been anything but gentlemanly towards anybody.

They had barely glided a few feet in the direction where Tara had disappeared to when unexpectedly one of them stopped, making his partner take a pause in mid-drift.

Sensing something coming up behind them - fast, they both turned, only to catch sight of a blur heading in their immediate direction. A black blur that… suspiciously looked familiar to the human they had encountered back in the woods.

Both the gentlemen had felt that the individual they had encountered in the woods had had an amazingly powerful heart. So much so that the pace of the person's heartbeat had nearly inundated their senses - to a point that they could think of nothing else but to snatch the person's heart from her.

However, they had also had the mind to remember that the very last human being they had encountered with that strong a heart - who had also been a female - much like the one running towards them now - had caused them a lot of irritation (being poked with sharp implements counted as 'quite irritating' in their books) before eventually handing her heart over to them.

And even that had only happened after they had taught the young woman's mother a lesson by taking her heart out for not taking the time to teach her daughter how to conduct herself in a ladylike manner in front of company.

All mothers, in their opinion should be held responsible for not teaching their daughters how to conduct themselves in front of company.

Going around stabbing decent gentlemen like themselves, who had only just arrived into town with pointed objects had definitely been the most unladylike behaviour they had ever witnessed from any young woman in any of the towns they had ever been to.

And as the human garbed from head to toe in midnight black rushed towards them, the two Gentlemen could only spare each other a glance and shake their heads in silence.

Another young woman in need of lessons in mannerism. Oh well, at least this one didn't have any sharp -

Their train of thought was cut short - even as one of the gentlemen floated forward to intercept the young woman - as the young woman launched herself through the air towards them, fists first, and both the gentlemen heard a most unique sound. Twice.

SNIKT!

The gentleman, who had just floated a few feet forward, stared with pupil-less eyes as the moonlight (whatever there was of it) gleamed off four razor-sharp adamantium claws. Two of which were jutting out from between the knuckles of the young woman's clenched fists.

And as the young woman finally rammed into the gentleman claws first, the force of the impact pushing the stunned gentleman back by more than a few yards while still enabling him to remain afloat somehow, in a silent, ancient and dead demonic lingo, a single phrase went through his psyche.

If it had been possible to translate the phrase into English, it would have probably sounded something along the lines of: "Ugh, God damn it!"

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Laura exploded out of the woods and into the UC Sunnydale campus grounds, cursing the 'Joker Demons' all the while for taking this fight (which she swore would be their last) into populated areas.

She would have liked to have dealt with them in the woods. Away from eyes that might perhaps see her in action. Not that anyone would recognise her (much like the rest of Xavier's X-Men, she rarely allowed herself to be seen in public), but nevertheless, the very last thing she wanted was to run into one of Walsh's 'soldier boys' and in turn give Walsh the heads-up that a mask was running around Sunnydale.

Unfortunately for her, it was at that very moment that she caught sight of what was going on in the distant.

Two creatures she had never once seen in her life wearing straightjackets as well as pinkish bandages over their heads, hobbling after a young blonde student with the two 'Joker demons' she had encountered in the woods following leisurely behind.

Staring at the chosen attire of the two new demons, she couldn't help but wonder if this grouping called themselves the 'Arkham Gang'. For a particular reason, she felt the name would suit them perfectly.

Not wasting anymore time, and realising that she had no choice but to confront them on the very grounds she had been trying to avoid, she rushed in their immediate direction to prevent them from harming any more innocent people. More so at that very moment, the blonde they seemed to be interested in.

Although her feet barely made any sound as she ran towards her targets, she watched as the two 'Joker demons' one by one, turned to regard her, leaving the other two demons to follow the other girl.

Chalking it up to the two having some kind of weird 'demonic sense' that had alerted them of her presence, as one of them started to float a few feet in her direction - apparently wishing to confront her, or, to stop her from going after the two chasing the blonde girl, she launched herself fist first at this demonic version of the Joker.

Less than a moment before colliding with the creature, knowing very well that if she did not make quick work of these two, then catch up with the other two who were chasing the young girl - there was a very good chance of her ending up with another dead student, she finally decided to make use of her 'hidden artilleries'.

Just before colliding with the creature, four razor-sharp adamantium claws - two in each case, exploded out from between the knuckles of her clenched fists from their housings within her forearms with a rather audible SNIKT.

With that, X-23 rammed into the demon, burying all four claws deep into its chest and with enough force to drive the 'Joker demon' back so much so that she almost made the creature collide with its partner - who barely floated out of the way.

Amazingly enough, even with all four of her claws buried deep within its chest, X-23 noticed that the demon had not only managed to stay upright, but it had somehow also been able to remain afloat.

Swinging her legs forward, and releasing the two claws in her feet, she stabbed the 'Joker demon' in the gut - getting a foothold in the process. This done, she yanked out the claws of her right hand and made a backhanded swipe, slashing nearly all the way through the demons throat - spraying to her disgust - green ooze in every direction.

What made this even more unnerving was the fact that even though the creature was about to meet its end (with her claws slicing through more than half its neck and its head almost ready to fall off - she didn't have any reason to think otherwise), that sickening grin that had been plastered across its face from the very beginning did not as much falter.

Knowing that grin or no grin - she was done with this one, she pulled the claws of her feet back into their housings while withdrawing the claws of her left hand that had still been buried within the demon's chest. Using the demon as a launching pad, she kicked off from the demon and launched herself towards its companion.

She dropped down in front of the second demon and looked up in time to see the demon shoot something resembling close to a glower her way. She couldn't for once really tell. It wasn't everyday she went up against someone… something that could both scowl and grin at the same time.

The demon reached within its coat with one hand for something (as Laura tensed in response) and pulled out…

… A scalpel.

Laura stared at the tiny blade, cocked her head, looked back up at the demon and raised her own already extended claws for comparison.

The demon's pupil-less eyes for a second or two shifted from staring at the tiny knife it was holding in one hand to the four ten-inch blades that were jutting out from between the knuckles of X-23's fists.

Anyone smarter, upon making the comparison would have turned tail and fled.

The demon facing X-23: floated forward and stabbed (some would call it 'poked') at her with the scalpel. X-23 didn't even bother getting out of the way. A swipe of her claws and the demon looked down in time to see pieces of the scalpel he had been holding fall noiselessly on to the grassy lawn - along with nearly half the digits of its right hand.

X-23 was just about ready to finish the demon off when something stopped her, made her take a step back, tilt her head to one side and witness a most peculiar thing.

The fingers she had just sliced off… they were growing back.

Something sharp poking into her back at that very moment, made her stumble forward and let out a silent grunt.

Turning swiftly, she slashed out with the claws of her left hand - not only to catch nothing but air but to also find the first 'Joker demon' she had faced - the one she had thought she had taken down - with no sign whatsoever of the injuries that had been inflicted on it holding on to a scalpel of its own floating backwards and out of the range of her claws.

Upon giving the demon closer scrutiny, she noticed to her disbelief that even its clothing looked as though it had stitched itself back together.

A… healing factor. The demons, they had a healing factor… or something that very closely resembled a healing factor.

This was not good - she reasoned. Not good at all.

The last two times she had fought… really fought someone with a healing factor, things hadn't exactly gone in her favour.

In fact, the very last time, if it hadn't been for her father coming to her rescue (as usual), the murdering psychopath known as Victor Creed probably would have mauled her alive.

Sensing the second demon coming up behind her and trying to make a grab at her, she dived sideways, rolling once and coming up in a crouch making sure both the demons were in her line of sight.

These demons, they didn't exactly look like the mauling types. They didn't even look like the fighting type. Not that it changed the fact that dealing with them just became a hell lot harder.

She looked on as the two demons shared a glance with one another, as if communicating in some unspoken tongue, turn to her and advance towards her.

She backed away - not knowing what they had planned.

Suddenly, both the demons started floating away from each other while still advancing on her. She looked on as they took positions on either side of her. Making it difficult for her to keep her eyes on both of them at any given time.

Then they started floating about around her in a circle. Making sure they were at opposite sides of her.

The demons circled her a few more times, as she tried her best to keep an eye on the both of them.

Then just as suddenly and without warning, the first of the demons she had faced, charged at her with his scalpel drawn.

Reacting to this, X-23 lashed out with a swipe of her claws as the demon came within reach. The demon for its part merely floated out of the way - only for the second demon to come and try and make a grab at her from behind. Turning and lashing out with her claws once again, she was barely able to keep the demon from successfully grabbing at her - only to feel something sharp poking into her back. Fortunately, her armour kept the damage from being minimal to none.

They were double teaming her - she realised as she rolled out of the way and came up in time for the second demon to try and make a grab at her again. While one distracted her, the other would attack. Not the greatest of combat strategies she'd be the first to admit but effective in this particular case. Especially with both demons being able to simply glide out of the way of her attacks.

The fact that they were still circling her didn't make it easier either. Considering she had to keep turning around herself while shifting her gaze from one to the other in order to make sure she wasn't caught unawares.

And yet again they came at her from opposite ends. Coming in for a strike and then quickly moving out of the way. Although they were not successful in landing more than the occasional strikes on her, X-23 was at the same time unable to land any significant strikes of her own.

X-23 couldn't stop herself from becoming somewhat frustrated by this. She didn't really know why they had chosen this line of attack as half a minute more went by and both sides neither lost nor gained an upper hand in the conflict.

And then out of the blue, realisation dawned on her.

They had been stalling her all this time.

She couldn't truly harm them in any way, and even if they were able to land more than a few hits on her (which she was not about to allow), her mutant healing factor coupled with the protection her uniform offered would keep any harm she received to a minimum.

Knowing what she had to do, the next time they floated in for a strike - X-23 dodged it by rolling out of the way and then making a mad dash towards the woods.

Banking on the assumption that the 'Joker demons' would pursue her - which they did, she skidded to a stop after she had gone only a few yards, made a complete u-turn and darted through between the two floating demons and towards the direction in which the other two demons following the young student had disappeared to.

And she was already sprinting at a speed just short of blurring, gaining much distance between herself and the 'Joker demons' before they had a chance to stop in midair and change directions themselves in order to pursue her.

X-23 didn't even bother looking over her shoulder to see if she was being trailed. Even if they had given her chase, she had seen enough of them - especially in the way they move to know that they were not nearly fast enough to catch up with her.

Picking up the scent trail that had been left by the other two demons (demons she had decided to call the 'Arkham Gang') and that of a terrified young woman in their wake, she followed the trail to the very last place she had neither expected nor wanted the young woman to lead them to.

The dormitory where she had taken up residence herself.

Stevenson Hall.

Standing there, at the threshold of the entrance to the dorm, she hesitated. But only for a second. A second in which she was assaulted with images of a dead student who had once been living down the hall and around the corner from her in this same dorm.

His eyes, while remaining lifeless - somehow still managing to glower at her accusingly for not being there to save him.

Taking a deep breath, she rushed inside to prevent the eyes of any more dead students from haunting her.

The scent trail led her up the stairs and to the second floor -

Where upon entering the hallway, the very first thing she caught was the scent of blood.

Human blood.

The second thing she caught was the sight of a 'Joker demon' gliding towards her. Her mind unconsciously acknowledged this 'Joker demon' as not one of the demons she had faced just a few minutes prior to arriving at the dorm. Making a part of her raise the question as to how many of these 'Joker demons' were out there - gliding about in Sunnydale.

The bulk of her attention however was fixated at what the 'Joker demon' was holding in one of its hands.

A human heart.

Shock first turned to disgust and disgust soon turned into rage.

It was a good thing - she would later come to concur - that she was literally incapable of uttering one single word or phrase at that very moment. Because the shriek of primal fury that escaped X-23's lips as she launched herself at the floating demon… that scream would have been more than enough to arouse half the sleeping students and employees who resided on the UC Sunnydale campus.

This particular Gentlemen, or 'Joker Demon' (as X-23 knew it) for his part made one feeble attempt at defending itself. Because this one feeble attempt… it was all that the demon was allowed.

The 'feeble attempt' in this case included the demon merely raising its arms to fend off the oncoming attack. An effort for which it lost both those arms to claws that could cut through titanium.

X-23 did not even give the floating demon a chance to inspect its severed hands as her claws went through the face of the demon… slicing all the way through it like a sizzling hot knife would pass through butter.

Of course, she didn't stop there. Within the course of the next few seconds, X-23 delivered a barrage of attacks that had the walls of the narrow corridor where the fight was taking place painted with the demon's blood.

The fight finally ended with the demon being at the receiving end of a quick but devastating back kick that sent the demon flying down the corridor, slamming against the wall at the end, cracking some of the plaster in the process and falling face down onto the floor.

X-23 watched as the demon lay there… not moving.

But this only lasted a few seconds.

The living weapon watched - not so much in shock, but rather in dismay as the demon rose… or rather, floated up from the ground into a standing position… the wounds X-23 had inflicted upon its body healing themselves up as this happened.

X-23 let out a silent growl. She crouched, ready to have another go at the demon… when something down the next corridor caught her attention.

She turned her head to see one of the doors to a room open. Then her eyes widened as she realised whose room the door led to.

Buffy's and Willow's.

Without wasting another second on the demon, she raced to the opening, dreading the worst.

At the threshold of the room, she stopped and peered inside. There was no one there.

And then she caught them.

Scents. Four of them.

Willow's, the blond student she had been trying to save followed by the two 'Arkham demons' that had given the young student chase.

Her eyes followed the trail of scents to the other end of the corridor (away from the 'Joker demon') and to a door that led to the stairs. The next instant found her racing through that door and pausing in the stairway to see which direction (up or down) her quarries had gone.

They had gone down.

She raced after them, going down one flight of stairs at a time. She reached the ground floor a second later.

She entered the door that led to the corridors on that floor, and immediately heard the sounds of someone… or something slamming against… something repeatedly.

Rushing to the end of that corridor, she turned the corner to find the two 'Arkham demons' that had been chasing the young student slamming their bodies against a door at the very end repeatedly. Just beyond it laid the exit door.

Had Willow and the young girl barricaded themselves behind that door? The question flashed through her mind. She decided she would look for the answer to that question **after** she had dealt with these two miscreants.

She rushed at them. And before they had a chance to register her presence, she rammed into one of the demons shoulder first. Catching it in midair as it launched itself towards the door once again.

She had initially wanted to ram the demon and slam it against the door at the end of the corridor… but she misjudged her momentum 'slightly' and found both herself and the demon literally tearing through the door and into the night air outside with a thunderous crash.

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The heads of both Willow's and Tara's snapped in the direction of the door where a large vending machine blocked entry into their little sanctuary.

They both turned to one another a second later. Their hands still intertwined, they both wondered one thing.

What had made that crashing sound?

More importantly… they wondered: why the demons had stopped trying to get inside.

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X-23 shook her head as she picked herself up from on top of the 'Arkham demon' she had landed on.

Standing over the demon, she looked down at its crumpled form.

She poked it once with her leg. It didn't make any movement.

Dead? She wondered. It couldn't have been that easy… could it?

She poked it again… nothing.

Remembering there was another one, she turned around to face it. And nothing greeted her once again.

She looked around and finally spotted it scurrying off in the distance.

As much as she wanted to go after it, she firstly wanted to check up on Willow and the girl. See if whatever they had barricaded their door with will hold or not.

Plus, now that she had this particular demon's scent catalogued… there was literally no place in Sunnydale the demon could run to that she wouldn't be able to follow.

Walking back inside the building once, she went straight for the door behind which Willow and the young student had taken refuge. She turned the doorknob and tried to push the door open.

It didn't budge.

She nudged the door once again - this time with a little more effort. The door still didn't budge.

She had no idea what the two had barricaded the door with but whatever it was… she decided that it will hold.

She raced out of the building and after the second 'Arkham demon'. It was while she was doing this that a thought occurred to her.

How in the world did Willow and the student manage to barricade the door with something which probably would have taken even her some effort?

Chalking it up to adrenaline pumped by fear, she focused her mind of finding the second demon.

It was after a few minutes that she finally caught up with the demon. She watched as it scurried off in the direction of an old and seemingly abandoned clockhouse. Looking up at the second story, her eyes widened as it registered the silhouettes of several 'Joker demons' floating around inside.

Jackpot… she thought with a smirk. Time to end this whole mess.

She raced after the demon she had been chasing. It had just smashed through one of the boarded up windows to get inside. She launched herself through the same opening, her claws sliding out from between her knuckles as she did so.

The first thing she found as she went through the same opening was the demon she had been chasing with its back to her. She simply extended her claws forward and rammed into the demon's back… burying them all the way to her fist. As the demon went down face first, she retracted her claws, used the demon to push herself into a handstand and launch herself off it and into the middle of the dimly lit room.

Landing on her feet, she came up into a fighting stance, ready for anything… and came face to face with someone short, blonde, and who just happened to be pointing a medieval crossbow at her face.

Laura's jaw dropped open.

"Buffy?" She whispered - not that anyone could have heard her as the equally confused blonde stared back at her, her crossbow still pointed at the living weapon's face.

Feeling another familiar presence to the side, she turned her head to find Agent Riley Finn of The Demon Research Initiative standing there with just as confused a face as Buffy's.

Only difference?

He was pointing a blaster gun at her.

More precisely, he was pointing the blaster gun right at her face.

And he seemed as though he was ready to fire.

**To Be Continued...**

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Like it? Hate it? Please do let me know before moving on to the next chapter. Thank you in the mean time for simply taking the time to read my fic.  



	11. Rumble in the Clock Tower

**SIX SHARP CLAWS AND A MISTER POINTY**

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Disclaimer:** All familiar characters belong to their respective copyright owners and are being used without their permission. I am not in any way affiliated with any of the groups or organizations that hold rights over the characters that appear in this particular story and neither have I been authorized to write the following story. This is a non-profit fan based effort and no copyright infringement is intended. So, umm… please don't sue. The plot and particular storyline however belong to me. And so does the original characters unless otherwise specified. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. Redistribution of this tale for profit is strictly prohibited. Please obtain my permission before archiving this story anywhere else on the net. Thank you very much. Happy Reading!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Timeline:**

**BTVS:** Season 4… after Episode 65 "Something Blue". Spoilers from Season 4.

**Marvel/DC:** An alternate world based on both the universes coexisting together from the beginning.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Warning:** This particular chapter includes spoilers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer's season four episode of Hush.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**CHAPTER 11: Rumble in the Clock Tower **

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As the demon went down face first, she retracted her claws, used the demon to push herself into a handstand and launch herself off it and into the middle of the dimly lit room.

Landing on her feet, she came up into an attack stance, ready for anything… and came face to face with someone short, blonde, and who just happened to be pointing a medieval crossbow at her face.

X-23's jaw dropped open.

"Buffy?" She whispered - not that anyone could have heard her as the equally confused blonde stared back at her, the crossbow still pointed at the living weapon's face.

Feeling another familiar presence to the side, she turned her head to find Agent Riley Finn of The Demon Research Initiative standing there with just as confused a face as Buffy's.

Only difference?

He was pointing a blaster gun at her.

More precisely, he was pointing the blaster gun right at her face.

And he seemed as though he was ready to fire.

Then, abruptly both his and Buffy's aim changed as Riley let loose a blast of electricity and Buffy let loose a bolt of arrow into something behind her. She already knew without turning that it had been an Arkham demon. She had sensed it hobbling towards her from the back.

And all of a sudden it didn't matter to them who she was anymore as more of the Arkham Demons rushed them.

Buffy went down in a tangle of limbs as she was tackled by two from behind. Riley raised his blaster gun to fend off the one that had come after him.

Knowing that Riley had been specifically trained to defend himself against the threat facing him, X-23 charged to help the petite blond - the only unknown factor in this equation - who was being double teamed by the two demons who had tackled her to the floor.

But Buffy - she found out the next instant - was anything but helpless as the diminutive blonde pushed off one of the demons with her legs and the demon literally went flying through the air to collide with the ceiling above and immediately fall the twelve feet or so to the floor knocked out.

X-23 had only a moment to stare slack-jawed at the amount of strength her new friend had just displayed before one of the Arkham Demons rushed her from the side. She turned to face the demon as it leaped through the air and used its own momentum to simply grab it from the air and bring it down into an arc and onto the floor with considerable force. Knowing that action had only dazed the demon, she quickly grabbed at the demon's head with both hands and twisted with all her strength, snapping its neck in the process and killing it instantly.

Sensing another one rushing at her, she quickly turned to face this new threat - only to have a blast of electricity from Riley's weapon make quick work of the demon. Turning in the direction of the soldier, she nodded once in thanks. Riley for his part looked surprised at the gesture - but only for a second before he himself nodded back at the girl garbed in black. But then his eyes widened as another demon rushed her from behind. He didn't have the angle - neither did he get the chance to assist X-23 any further than shooting her a warning glance as he found himself having to contend with two demons.

His worries were of course unwarranted as X-23 quickly dispatched the demon she had herself sensed approaching with a quick but tremendous uppercut - a move that send the demon smashing into the wall some twenty feet away.

Done with this one, she turned to see the second demon that had Buffy pinned to the floor suddenly go slack as the unmistakable sound of the demon's neck snapping reached her sensitive ears. However, just as Buffy pushed the demon off of her, another rushed at her.

X-23 rushed forward to intercept the demon, leaping over Buffy to tackle the demon out of midair just as it was about to pounce on the blonde - giving Buffy some breathing room and a chance to get back on her feet.

As the demon went down, she turned to see Buffy - on her feet, rushing off to help Riley who had taken care of one of the two demons that had attacked him and was struggling with the second one. Not realizing another one getting ready to pounce on him from behind. He didn't need to worry about this unsuspecting threat as Buffy quickly dealt with the demon by sending it smashing through the other side of the clock tower with a devastating dropkick.

Buffy flipped back to her feet and looked around at all the dead and some near unconscious demons lying around as X-23 rushed to help Riley with the demon he had been struggling with. Grabbing the creature from behind, she picked it up over her head and slammed it down hard, the back of the creature impacting with her adamantium plated knee, snapping its spine immediately. The demon twitched around for a second or two as she jumped off of it before Riley finally silenced it with a blast from his weapon.

Hearing the sounds of someone clapping frantically, they both turned to Buffy who had been trying to grab their attention. She pointed up, letting them know that they needed to go upstairs fast. Then she turned and did just that, rushing up the stairs with X-23 following close behind.

One of the Arkham demons who had been unconscious came to and made a grab for Riley's leg, just as he was about to go up the stairs himself. X-23, picking up on the scuffle, turned back in time to see Riley kicking off the demon that had grabbed him. Riley looked back up the stairs to see X-23 standing there waiting for him. He gestured her to go ahead. He would come up himself in a bit.

After a quick nod, X-23 headed upstairs but not before hearing the sound of Riley's blaster gun going off a few times as he pumped electricity into some of the demons who she guessed had been regaining their senses.

Reaching the top floor, X-23 found three more Arkham demons (how many off them were there? she wondered offhandedly) holding a struggling Buffy upright and in place as a Joker demon floated towards the petite blonde with a scalpel drawn.

X-23 ploughed into the Arkham demons that had been holding Buffy - freeing the blonde. The two girls made quick work of the three before turning in unison to face the Joker demon which had been floating towards Buffy - only to have the Joker demon be blasted backwards by Riley who had a moment ago arrived upstairs to assist them.

However, while the blaster gun had been useful in temporarily incapacitating the Arkham demons, it was not as useful against these Joker demons - which X-23 noticed, along with Buffy and Riley - as the Joker demon Riley had just shot simply shook off the effects and started towards them again. Only this time, all five of its compatriots joined in on the advance.

One of the demons floating forward turned its head to the one on its right and pointed to X-23. The other merely nodded in return.

X-23 stared at the demons and recognized them immediately. They were the ones who had been after the blonde girl on the university campus.

As the two once again headed towards her, one of them reaching inside its coat to bring out a scalpel, X-23 finally unsheathed her claws - the audible sound of the claws bursting out of their housings within her forearms making Buffy jump slightly. She caught sight of Buffy in her peripheral vision gaping at her claws. She could feel Riley's eyes boring into them from the back as well.

Their reactions didn't really surprise her. After all, this was the first time she had unsheathed her claws in front of them.

She hadn't really needed to use her claws when fighting off the Arkham demons downstairs. Her strength, speed and skill had been more than enough. However, she realized that in order to fend off these particular demons - demons that had regenerative capabilities rivaling that off her own, perhaps even surpassing hers - she would need to go all out - if only to keep them at bay until she herself, or Buffy or Riley figured out a way to put them down for good.

With that in mind, and not waiting for Buffy or Riley, she charged into the two demons that had been advancing in her direction. Her claws immediately slicing into them as they reached striking distance.

Both Buffy and Riley hesitated - if only for a second before joining in themselves. Buffy, punching and kicking away and Riley blasting away with his gun.

However, only about fifteen seconds into the mêlée, X-23 came to the conclusion that if they didn't find a way to kill these demons permanently, she - because of her healing capabilities may make it out alive, but the others, Buffy and Riley… no, their chances of surviving this encounter looked almost non-existent.

Especially Riley's - as she saw him try and blast away the one Joker demon that had been floating towards his direction - only to look down at his blaster gun and realize to his shock that it no longer had any power left.

Damn, damn, damn - she cursed as she tried to make a dash in the direction of the soldier to lend him a hand only to have a third joker demon block off her way. Next thing she knew, she was being triple teamed.

The one good thing about the fight in her view was that: since they were in a confined space, the Joker demons didn't have sufficient room to maneuver out of the way of her claws. Making it easier for her to dig her claws into some parts of their body with each and every strike.

Not that they were helping anyways.

A quick glance at Riley's direction however showed that the soldier was not exactly helpless without his blaster gun as he had now started using the device to hammer away at the demon.

Buffy seemed to be holding her own as well. Throwing lefts and rights, and kicking away the two demons she had been fighting, not letting any one of them get close enough to crowd her.

She… also seemed to be searching for something - X-23 noticed. Suddenly Buffy's eyes settled on a table near the front of the clock tower. She rushed in the direction only to have one of the demons she had been fighting block her way.

X-23 shot a quick peek in the direction to see what it was that had caught Buffy's attention. She noticed seven jars resting on top of a small table. Two of them were empty while the other five were containing - wait a minute… were those human hearts?

Her mind flashed back to the demon she had encountered inside her dormitory. It had been carrying a human heart in its hand. Right before X-23 had relieved it off it. Was that the source of their power? She wondered. Seven hearts to become all powerful?

Only one way to find out.

A flying roundhouse kick sent two of the demons she had been fighting careening away a few feet. Landing on her feet, she launched a devastating sidekick into the third floating demon. This one went smashing into the wall about ten feet away.

Coast cleared, she made a dash in the direction of the table even as the demons recovered and started to close in on her. But she was too fast for them this time. Reaching the table, she raised one arm, clenched her hand into a fist and brought it down on one of the jars.

The jar broke immediately upon contact, spilling its content onto the floor of the clock-tower.

She was about to break another one, when all three demons swamped her. Literally. Their arms grabbing at her own arms and pulling her back and away from the table. But not before X-23 had a chance to raise her right leg and bring it down on another container, smashing it into bits and once again spilling its contents.

Through the corner of her eye, as she was being dragged away, she caught sight of Buffy trying to make another dash at the table. Probably trying to finish the job X-23 had started.

But then, X-23 watched as another Joker demon - the one that had been dealing with Riley came up behind Buffy, clearly to lend his grinning friends another pair of hands in containing the petite blonde.

Looking back, X-23 noticed the reason why the Joker demon had left Riley. One of the Arkham demons had just gained consciousness and was now wrestling with Riley. Leaving all the Joker demons free to detain the ones with superhuman powers. Namely: her and Buffy.

However, this turned out to be a mistake on part of the Joker demons. A big mistake in fact as Riley dealt with the Arkham demon in a matter of seconds and rushed off in the direction of the table with the containers. The soldier had obviously kept an eye on both X-23 and Buffy and had seen X-23 smashing at the jars and Buffy trying to reach the table.

Reaching it, and finding no opposition, he proceeded to bring the butt end of his blaster gun down on one of the jars, smashing it. He then looked up at X-23 and grinned.

Was he looking for her approval? She wondered. Smash the others already - she would've screamed if she could've.

If it wasn't for the things she had dealt with while growing up at the X-Mansion, not to mention while traveling with the Titans, X-23 would've found what happened next (all the Joker demons turning their heads simultaneously to glare at Riley) weird. Safe to say, Riley's grin faltered as two of the Joker demons started floating towards his position. Leaving Buffy and X-23 to deal with two each.

Clap! Clap!

Both Riley's and X-23's head snapped in the direction of Buffy who had once again clapped to gain their attention. X-23 watched as Buffy - after once again kicking away one of the demons - turn to Riley and imitated with her hands opening. And then mouth the word box just as the two demons she had been fighting swamped her again.

Box? She wondered. There had been a box on the table. Not knowing what it was she had left it alone.

Was THAT what Buffy had been trying to get to?

Guess she was going to find out as Riley looked down at the box, frowned, raised his gun again, and - mere moments before the two Joker demon that had been approaching him had a chance to make a grab at the soldier, he brought it down and smashed it.

The result was instantaneous.

The demons that had been holding on to X-23 and Buffy let them go. As though pushed away from them by some unseen force. The two that had been about to make a grab at Riley floated away from him.

Then X-23 felt it… something entering her. Something that felt like it had always been a part of her. And she knew that her voice had returned -

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…."

The hell? X-23 winced and turned in the direction the scream had come from to find Buffy standing there screaming at the top of her lungs.

Only, it actually seemed to be having some affect on not only the Joker demons, but even their lackeys (the unconscious ones as well), as all of them grabbed at their heads - twitching and flaying their arms about, as though in enormous pain.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA…"

And of course, Riley just had to join in.

Shrugging, she took in a deep breath herself, thought - what the hell - and started screaming at the top of her lungs.

Only a few seconds into this, all the Joker demons suddenly went stiff, and then to X-23's surprise, the heads of the Joker demons exploded. Splattering gooey green blood all over the clock tower as well as the trio.

Then one by one, as the three of them looked on, the bodies of the Joker demons fell to the floor. Finally dead.

For a next few seconds, no one spoke.

The three of them merely stood where they were… staring at the corpses of the now permanently dead demons. Demons that had been the cause of all their headaches over the past forty-eight hours or so.

It was Buffy who finally broke the silence.

Turning to Riley, she asked, not trying to hide the confusion lacing her voice. "Riley… what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Countered the soldier after a second or two. Sounding just as perplexed as Buffy.

Buffy looked as though she was about to say something in response when her attention suddenly shifted from Riley to the one and only unknown someone in the room.

That unknown someone being the person garbed from head to toe in black.

Looking more confused (if it was even possible), she cocked her head to one side and inquired, "Wait… who're you again?"

Damn! Cursed X-23 as she froze in her spot. She had been slowly backing away towards the stairs. Thinking she could slip away before one of them had a chance to ask her just that.

So much for that.

**To Be Continued… **

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**Author's Notes**

The last few lines of the last chapter (Chapter 10) was changed slightly.

Before moving forward to read the next chapter, please let me know what you thought of this chapter.

In other words:

**REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!!**


	12. Hush Finale

**SIX SHARP CLAWS AND A MISTER POINTY**

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Disclaimer:** All familiar characters belong to their respective copyright owners and are being used without their permission. I am not in any way affiliated with any of the groups or organizations that hold rights over the characters that appear in this particular story and neither have I been authorized to write the following story. This is a non-profit fan based effort and no copyright infringement is intended. So, umm… please don't sue. The plot and particular storyline however belong to me. And so does the original characters unless otherwise specified. Any and all feedback will be much appreciated. Redistribution of this tale for profit is strictly prohibited. Please obtain my permission before archiving this story anywhere else on the net. Thank you very much. Happy Reading!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Timeline:**

**BTVS:** Season 4… after Episode 65 "Something Blue". Spoilers from Season 4.

**Marvel/DC:** An alternate world based on both the universes coexisting together from the beginning.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Warning:** This particular chapter includes spoilers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer's season four episode of Hush.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**CHAPTER 12: Hush... Finale**

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the next few seconds, no one spoke.

The three of them merely stood where they were… staring at the corpses of the now permanently dead demons. Demons that had been the cause of all their headaches over the past forty-eight hours or so.

It was Buffy who finally broke the silence.

Turning to Riley, she asked, not trying to hide the confusion lacing her voice. "Riley… what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Countered the soldier right away. Sounding just as perplexed as Buffy.

Buffy looked as though she was about to say something in response when her attention suddenly shifted from Riley to the one and only unknown someone in the room.

That unknown someone being the person garbed from head to toe in black.

Looking more confused (if it was even possible), she cocked her head to one side and inquired, "Wait… who're you again?"

_Damn!_ Cursed X-23 freezing in her spot. She had been slowly and cautiously backing away towards the stairs. Thinking she could sneak away before one of them had a chance to ask her just that.

Well, so much for that!

"Well?" prompted the shorter blonde. Slight impatience evident in her tone and posture.

But X-23 didn't answer. In fact, for the next few seconds, she simply stood where she was and stared back at the petite blonde from behind the opaque lenses of her mask. Considering what to do next.

For one thing, she definitely wasn't about to respond to Buffy's question - for obvious reasons. She was in Sunnydale on a mission after all. And even if she wasn't, she didn't exactly go around revealing her identity to anyone just because he, she, or they decided to ask her that exact question.

True, there had been occasions in the past when she had revealed her true identity to certain individuals - individuals who had over time earned enough of her trust. But Buffy… she hadn't known the girl long enough to have trusted her. In fact, she was coming to the realization that considering what little has been revealed about the petite blonde over the course of the last ten minutes - ever since she had entered the clock tower… she hadn't known Buffy at all.

But then again - she hadn't exactly been honest with the petite blonde from the moment they had met either.

Nevertheless, in the end, Buffy was an unknown factor. And X-23 absolutely hated having to deal with unknown factors. Especially when they pop up in the middle of one of her missions.

As for what she was actually going to do that very moment… well, for one thing, she had seen Buffy in combat. The girl had displayed enhanced strength, agility, coordination and some impressive amount of speed that made Buffy fast, but not nearly as fast as herself. That said - she doubted the girl would be able to catch up with her if she suddenly decided to turn around and blur out of the clock tower at her top speeds.

So the question she had to ask herself was: did she gauge Buffy's speed correctly enough to risk it?

For a second, it seemed to her like this was as good a time as there will ever be to test it.

And then of course her acute hearing had to pick up the sound of something happening downstairs. She cocked her head slightly to listen to what sounded like… footsteps? Yes, footsteps… multiple footsteps to be exact - making their way into the clock tower.

She listened intently for a second or two - her sensitive hearing picking up minute details about the new arrivals.

There were four of them - she realized. Their movements methodical - their steps hushed to the point of being noiseless to most but her. And she knew - immediately knew that the four downstairs were soldiers belonging to the Demon Research Initiative. The very organization she had been sent to spy on.

As to why they were there at the clock tower: the Demon Research Initiative routinely sent out its troops in units of four to five. It was probable that one of those units had simply entered the clock tower in search of one of their own. More specifically, they had entered the clock tower looking for one Riley Finn.

And were about to find Buffy and her along with him.

X-23 took in a breath, clenched her fists and suppressed the urge to let out a growl. First, her presence in Sunnydale is compromised. It happened the instant Buffy and Riley saw her. Literally nothing she could do to change that now.

As for the soldiers downstairs - the moment they come up, she herself would be compromised. And once that happened... her mission in Sunnydale would be as good as over. She had never failed a mission before and she was not about to let this one be the first.

Turning her head a little in Riley's direction, she furtively studied the two boarded up windows adorning the wall right behind him. As per her training, she had taken notice of all the exit points the moment she had come upstairs. Since going down and out the front door was not an option any longer; one of those windows would have to be her way out.

"Don't even think about it."

Slightly taken aback, she turned to see Riley shooting her a stern glare. A fleeting look in Buffy's direction told her that the blonde was busy shooting both her and him puzzled glances. Probably wondering what he was talking about.

X-23's face contorted into a frown as she returned her gaze to the soldier. Could he have figured out what she was planning to do? Maybe he'd had better training than she had previously given him credit for.

Didn't matter though. One way or another, she was still getting out.

Before that however, she had to decide this instant where she was going to go.

For one thing, she definitely couldn't go back to her dorm room… not directly from the clock tower anyways. She couldn't risk being followed and thus compromising her identity any further.

Miller's Woods - the name of the vast forested area popped up in her mind. According to the map of Sunnydale she had memorized, it was only about four miles east of her current position and covered a vast portion of Sunnydale's northeastern territory. All she had to do was make it to the wooded area and she was certain that she would easily be able to loose any and all pursuer she may pick up on the way there. It would be quite easy from there to reach her dorm rooms.

Sure, it would take her a little while (four miles east to Miller's Woods, five miles north after that, then another nine miles west into Breaker's Woods and finally UC Sunnydale campus) but she was more than willing to take that long a route if only to make certain no one followed.

That decided - she moved.

It was so fast that Riley, while he may have anticipated it - was still startled into raising his blaster gun to take aim at her. Forgetting for an instant there that his high-tech weapon was all out of 'juice'.

Buffy, startled at the sudden movement (if the expression on her face was any indication) was however much quicker to respond. A fraction of a second after X-23 had started towards one of the windows (the one on Riley's right); an expletive escaped Buffy's lips and she was on her tail.

But that fraction of a second lead was all X-23 had needed. Reaching the window, X-23 crossed her arms in front of her face and leaped; the small momentum she had gathered and the indestructible metal lacing her skeleton allowing her to smash her way through the planks that were used to barricade the windows like they were made of tissue paper.

Once outside, she was airborne for another fraction of a second before gravity took its hold on her and she fell to the ground a floor below. Rolling once to absorb the impact, she came up in a crouch and turned back to the window in time to see the silhouette of one Buffy Anne Summers descending upon her.

Startled, she dived off to the left so as to avoid Buffy landing on top of her. Which, (she gathered) considering her enhancements, would have hurt the petite blonde a lot more than it would have hurt her.

Scrambling back to her feet, she darted off towards Miller's Woods even as she heard Buffy cry out "WAIT!" and start after her.

"I just want to talk!" She heard the petite blonde plea. It sounded as though the young woman was only a few feet behind her. X-23 increased her pace in response and heard her pursuer let out another expletive as she was forced to increase her own pace to keep up.

And as they ran, not one of them noticed the eyes of one Agent Riley Finn of the Demon Research Initiative staring at their retreating forms from the same window they had just exited from.

A frown marring his normally handsome face.

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"Riley?"

At the sound of his name being called, Riley spun around from the window to have his eyes rest on the familiar features of a friend and associate of his peering up at him from the stairway.

"Forrest." He acknowledged with a nod as the soldier in response cautiously ascended the rest of the steps followed by another of his comrades - Agent Graham Miller. Their eyes widening at the sight of the many dead demons scattered about. Their weapons trained on them as though waiting for them to suddenly come back to life and start attacking.

"Damn man… what the hell happened here?" Asked a bewildered Forrest. His eyes suddenly snapped up to rest on his squad leader. "You OK?" he asked concernedly.

Riley couldn't help but ask himself the same question.

He had just watched the young woman he had an immense crush on beat the stuffing (literally and quite easily if he were to add) out of a bunch of demons - demons that had given him trouble. Then of course there had been that other girl… damn she had been fast. Half the time, all he saw was a blur of movement on her part and next thing he knew there were demons falling left and right. And what the heck was up with those knives coming out of her hands anyways? Come to think of it… they did kind of remind him of someone he had only heard rumors about through the underground military community grapevine. But who? If he could only remember.

"Riley?"

He looked up to see the eyes of both Forrest and Graham resting on him concernedly.

"You alright man?" Forrest asked again.

Riley sighed before nodding. "Yeah… I'm good," he assured. It wasn't a total lie. He was ok… kind of. Just very, very confused at the moment.

"You sure?"

Riley waved off any more of their concerns. He was still a soldier and while the night may have held some big surprises for him - it was time for him to put those behind him and get back to business. Looking around at the corpses of the dead demons, he said, "We need to get a clean-up crew…"

"Already called for one." Graham stated, cutting him off. "They are on the way."

Riley nodded. "Good. Then let's get back to base." Walking past them, he muttered. "Walsh will want to hear about tonight."

"Hear what about tonight?" Forrest asked, curious.

Riley stopped. He turned and simply stated, "I don't think we are the only people hunting demons in Sunnydale." With that, he turned back around and started towards the stairs.

Both Graham and Forrest shared a puzzled look with one another before following their squad leader downstairs.

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On any given day, X-23, on foot, could cover anywhere from a mile to a little more than that under a minute. This early morning, she found herself covering nearly three miles in less than two and a half minutes.

In the end, as she ran, she mused that covering that much distance hadn't really been the hard part. Ditching the blonde on the other hand… well, over the last two and a half minutes, X-23 had gained a lot of distance between herself and Buffy. It had been slow to gain but with each long stride she had managed it. But Buffy still remained on her tail.

While X-23 had been right in assuming she had been faster than the petite blonde (if only by a short margin), Buffy (she had to admit) for her part seemed to have a hell lot of endurance to fall back on.

Finally, she sighted the thickly forested area of Miller's Woods coming up in the distance. With a final burst of speed, she covered the gap and disappeared within the foliage.

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Buffy cursed for what seemed like the umpteenth time that night as she watched the young woman she had been trailing speed up (making her wonder exactly how fast this girl was) and disappear within the folds of the forest in the distance.

Some seconds later, she herself entered the thickly forested area and found to her dismay… nothing.

She looked around in all directions. Her eyes scanning everything she could see. But a girl garbed in black was nowhere to be found.

Closing her eyes, she listened to the many sounds the forest had to offer. Trying to see if she could pick up on the resonance of running footsteps.

There wasn't any to be heard.

Opening her eyes, she scanned the forest once again. And she came to the conclusion that she had absolutely no idea in which direction the girl had gone.

Shoulders slumping dejectedly, she whispered to no one in particular, "But… I just wanted to talk."

Crestfallen but not quite willing to give up - not yet anyways, she walked deeper into the forest. Hoping she may still be able to track down her quarry.

Not realizing as she passed a particularly large tree that the object of her hunt was peering down at her from her perch some twenty feet above. Her lithe form indistinguishable from the shadows enveloping her.

Turning Buffy's role of the tracker into that of the one being tracked.

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Beep-Beep!

One good eye turned from the document it had been busy scrutinizing to rest on the beeping mechanism laying on top of the table. A momentary look at the electronic table clock told him the time was 4:29 AM. That made him frown slightly in concern. While he had been waiting - even expecting to hear from her… he hadn't really thought she'd be calling him at this hour.

Leaning forward, he reached out to pick up the communicator as it beeped once more, flipped it open and placed it to his ear - all in one fluid motion.

"Tell me you got your voice back kid." He said into the device.

"Yeah… I did." Came the response.

That… didn't sound right - mused the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. as his frown deepened. He had just called her a kid and she hadn't given him an earful in return. Something definitely was up.

Never being one to beat around the bush, he asked, "What happened?"

And so she told him.

Everything.

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_Seventeen Minutes and a long explanation later…_

"Hmm."

"Hmm?"

"Hmm."

"Is that a good 'hmm' or a bad 'hmm'?" asked Laura. Not bothering to hide the hopeful tone in her voice.

"You compromised your presence kid." She heard Fury state. His tone emanating his disappointment. "Of course it's a bad 'Hmm'."

"Well… would it help if I said I didn't mean to - you know? Compromise my presence that is?"

Fury only grumbled unintelligibly in reply.

Laura sighed. "Ok, whatever's happened has happened. Now just… just tell me how you want me to proceed. Carry on with the mission? You know I can still complete it."

"Now that this Riley Finn has seen you… you know they'll be on the lookout for you." He said.

"I can be careful… if I don't want them to find me, they won't find me." Stated Laura with confidence.

"Don't get too cocky." Reprimanded Fury. "If they are good enough to sneak up on demons and vampires and catch them unawares, they'll be good enough to capture even you." A pause followed. "Plus, while I'm concerned about them, right now, I'm more concerned about this Buffy character. Now, you sure she's not a mutant?"

"Yeah," assured Laura. "Definitely not a mutant - I would've been able to tell. I'd say she's more along the lines of a Meta. Not sure about which category she'd fall under though. As far as I can tell, she's got enhanced speed; strength… might actually be stronger than me… and agility. Might have enhanced senses as well. Not sure on that front. While I was following her back to the student halls, she seem to realize a few times she was being followed. But then she seemed to shrug it off. Not trained enough in the use of her senses I guess."

"Hmm… you think what… she's Sunnydale's resident superhero?"

"Could be… she sure seemed to know how to take out those Joker demons."

"Alright … I'll try and dig up what I can about this Summers kid." Said Fury. "In the mean time - watch out for her. And try and stay indoors for at least one week."

"I told you I can be careful." Stated Laura somewhat crossly.

"I'm sure… but why take the risk. Just stay in for one week. Let the Demon Research Initiative go looking for you. They'll abandon their search once they realize you're nowhere to be found. Probably will think you were in town for one night and that you skipped it soon after. Once the week is up, you can go about completing your mission."

Laura paused… considering.

"Ya know I'm right," she heard him state. He was… and she hated him for being so. She didn't enjoy being cooped up inside when she knew she could be out there saving lives - making a difference.

"X," he started again. "Don't forget that the only reason you are in that town is because I sent you there on a mission. With your presence being compromised - I could'a easily ordered you to pull out. But I'm not going to do that. Thing is, I want these guys shut down… and for that to happen, I need you to complete this mission. So that means no going out there and playing hero and drawing unwanted attention from anyone," he finished. "Got it?"

"Alright… I'll stay in." She agreed reluctantly. "But only for a week." She quickly added.

"That's all I'm asking for." Stated Fury over the line. "Now, go get some rest. Ya earned it."

"I will," Laura stated.

"I'll get back to you on that Summers kid sometime later on today."

With that, Fury closed the connection and Laura placed the communicator on top of her table.

She spent the subsequent few minutes taking off her uniform. Piece by piece. Once she was finished, she proceeded to deposit everything back into the hidden compartment of her suitcase from where she had originally retrieved the uniform.

Slipping into something comfortable, she literally fell on top of her bed. Pulling the covers over her head, she closed her eyes and willed herself to forget about her mission, forget about the last two nights and the few people she had been unable to save.

She willed herself to relax… to sleep.

Content in the knowledge that the nightmare that had lasted a better part of the last three days was finally over.

**To Be Continued… **

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**Author's Notes:**

The last few lines of **Chapter 11** went through some minor changes.

The name of the last chapter was changed from **Hush: Finale** to **Rumble in the Clock Tower**. I thought the former was a much fitting title for this chapter since this wraps up the events of **Hush** for Six Sharp Claws and a Mister Pointy.

And now… the real fun begins.

Don't forget to tune in the next time around as a certain peroxide haired vampire makes his very first Six Sharp Claws debut.

As always, I would appreciate any comments, criticisms, suggestions you may be willing to send my way. So please… **REVIEW!**


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